We don't buy your story, MACC

YOURSAY ‘Umno has amended the constitution countless times over the past five decades. Surely they can amend a couple of archaic laws without much difficulty.'

'Archaic law' stops MACC action against 'rich leader'

LittleGiant: I do not, and will not, buy these kind of stories or excuses by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and other government agencies that some outdated or "archaic" laws prevents them from prosecuting corrupt politicians and government officials.

If such laws exist and such laws are an obstacle to good governance, then I must be right in my suspicion that BN government is deliberate in keeping these "archaic" laws to protect its cronies at any cost.

Why should I vote for a government (or any government for that matter) that keeps bragging about reforms and yet could do nothing to remove some outdated laws that is a 'nuisance' and a hindrance to saving this nation from corruption?

KSD: This is utter nonsense. The MACC man is talking through his rear end.

If that chief minister has wealth beyond his income - and that's certainly the case when you are named as the richest man in Malaysia - then all MACC has to do is to follow the paper trail.

MACC, Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission (MCMC) or whatever institution in Malaysia; they all have two sets of procedures - one for the rakyat and opposition and the other for the ruling party.

Jk7462000: Actually, it's not an excuse. It's very real. These guys are very smart. They use the law to circumvent prosecution.

MACC, though based on Hong Kong's famed Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), became a toothless tiger the moment modifications aka "localisation to fit local conditions" were made to the original blueprint.

For MACC to be effective, it needs to be exactly like ICAC - truly independent and with full prosecution powers.

Kit P: The person owning assets in excess of his declared income as the state leader should be sufficient prima facie case for a corruption charge. Where there is no will, there is no way.

Oscar Kilo: Umno has amended the constitution countless times over the past five decades. Surely they can amend a couple of archaic laws without much difficulty.

Dr Jag#04496187: What are those "shoddy laws" that cannot be trumped and stumped? Are you telling the rakyat our criminal laws are impotent, ineffective and toothless against corrupt practices and the practitioners, even if they roamed the realms of rarefied airs of the elite?

Anonymous #67264380: To the MACC, how does it feel to know that these leaders have amassed so much of wealth at the expense of the rakyat and yet you do not do anything about it? Can you sleep easy at night?

P Dev Anand Pillai: Basically this are just excuses. The laws in the country put the MACC under the thumb of the prime minister, and as such it comes under the PM's Department.

So with able drafters of laws in the Attorney-General's Chambers, whom are qualified from all over the Commonwealth, the chief executive of the nation and the respective state leaders who are aligned to his coalition will fall outside the ambit of the laws they draft.

Only chief executives of states belonging to the opposition coalition come under the purview of the laws drafted by the highly intelligent in the AG's Chambers.

So the moral of the story is if you are one with the bandits, you are covered but if you are not, then the MACC will start the hunt for you whether your corrupt act is corroborated or not. If you are not corrupt, they will create an act of corruption to nab you.

This is the MACC, plain and simple.

Yap CS: What utter rubbish! When the first investigation falters because of bad laws, it should have been brought up then.

It is only now, when the evidence is spilling out onto the streets and the MACC realises it cannot be ignored anymore, that excuses like these are given. Anyone else but the present MACC people would have died of shame.

Henry: I believe the time is ripe to give Pakatan Rakyat the seat of government at Putrajaya and to give them the two-third majority so they can do the rightful thing. Nothing less would suffice.

Kim Quek: "...investigations against a state leader could not proceed due to shoddy laws...", so says MACC.

What a damned lie! Article 8 (1) of our constitution states: "All persons are equal before the law...", so as far as MACC is concerned, there should be no difference whether the suspect is a state leader or a common man.

If MACC has investigated and convicted thousands without being hindered by these so-called shoddy laws, why can't it do the same against this particular state leader?

I am surprised that the parliamentary special committee had not cruxified the MACC officer for telling such a bare-faced lie during the briefing.

However, it is not too late; the committee can still make a report and propose a parliamentary censure against the chief commissioner of MACC for having committed such treasonous dereliction of duty.

Swipenter: It must be very comforting to those state leaders engaging in acts of corruption to hear that from MACC. Tell us, which are exactly these "archaic" laws?

Armageddon: Is the impunity from the law extended to the children of the state leaders, too?

BullsEye: Why is the MACC set up in the first place?

Indeed, MACC is a hoax to dupe the rakyat into thinking the government is sincere in fighting corruption. It looks like another puppet agency, to do whatever it likes whenever it likes, to protect the wrong and harm the innocent.

What a shame and such a scam. MACC, you do not deserve the rakyat's respect.

Hplooi: ‘Incredulous' is the word.