MP SPEAKS One of the basic rules of good and clean governance is the crafting and implementantion of public policies that benefits the people and the nation.

Private scandals involving questions about integrity and moral behaviour should neither infringe nor influence public policy to the detriment of the nation’s interests. By allowing private scandals to defeat public policies, Barisan Nasional is running a failed government.

nor mohamed yakcop and malaysia stock exchangeSeveral exposes have highlighted how the BN government not only condones private scandals but also promotes bad public behaviour. Beginning with Bank Negara Malaysia foreign exchange scandal, which it admitted incurred losses of RM10.1 billion in 1992 and RM5.7 billion in 1993.

What is shocking was not the claim by senior Bank Negara officials that the losses were actually double the RM15.8 billion admitted by BN, but that the person behind the colossal losses escaped unpunished and was later even promoted as Minister.

Nor Mohamed Yakcop (above) was forced to resign from Bank Negara on July 10, 1994 for his role in the RM15.8 billion losses and is now a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Cows, condos and extraordinary wealth

Since then, we have the RM250 million “cows and condos” scandal involving the family of a former Cabinet Minister. Even though she finally resigned when malpractices involving the RM250 million loan to National Feedlot Corporation were exposed, she still retained her post as Umno Wanita chief.

azlanAnd we have Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud (centre, in photo), who has refused to respond to exposes of his alleged extraordinary wealth.

Taib’s former daughter-in-law, Shanaz Abdul Majid (left, in photo), revealed that Taib’s son (right, in photo) charged RM782,520.55 to just one of his credit cards for the first six months of this year.

Shahnaz is claiming RM400 million in their divorce settlement in the Syariah courts as her husband is reputedly worth RM1 billion with RM 700 million of deposits in 111 bank accounts in local foreign countries.

How BN condones such private scandals can be seen by the refusal to come clean on the RM40 million donation originally meant for Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman (below), but now clarified as meant for Sabah Umno.

azlanEx-BN MP Wilfred Bumburing claimed that the RM40 million had been remitted to the personal account of “an Umno leader” whilst former Umno Supreme Council member and now independent MP Lajim Ukin claimed that state party leaders never knew that RM40 million was donated to Sabah Umno.

Another case is the extravagant lifestyle of Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam, in which 130,000 guest were feted in an extravagant record-breaking celebration in Malaysia. Until today Ali Rustam has failed to explain who sponsored such a lavish wedding, which Ali Rustam claimed cost only RM600,000?

DAP's six test of integrity

An Umno parliamentarian Abdul Ghafur Salleh questioned why a person unrelated to Felda was allegedly given the pink form for one million shares in the recently-listed Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV).
NONEThis was followed by DAP Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua’s expose that a company involved in the setting up of the country's newest budget carrier, Malindo Airways, has links to two children of Malaysia Ambassador to the United States and Rompin MP Jamaluddin Jarjis (right).

Malindo Airways is 51 percent owned by National Aerospace and Defence Industries (Nadi), which in turn is owned by four entities. One of these entities is DZJJ Sdn Bhd, in which Jamaluddin's 27-year-old daughter Nur Anis and 25-year-old son Ikhwan Hafiz are directors.

In contrast, despite the best efforts of BN, Pakatan Rakyat state government leaders are clean and not involved in financial scandals.

DAP adopted the six tests of integrity to fight corruption by making a public declaration of assets, implementing open competitive tenders, bar family members from being involved with government contracts, protect genuine whistleblowers, remove BN leaders with extravagant lifestyles and come clean on political donations.