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Prime Minister Najib Razak’s speech at the opening of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities Conference urged leaders at all levels of society to exhibit the right values and ethical conduct in order to prevent corruption. Unfortunately Najib is long on rhetoric but short on action in fighting corruption.
The drop in Malaysia’s Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 60 in 2012 is the most damaging indictment of BN’s failure to root out corruption.
Worse, TI Malaysia deputy president Mohammad Ali even noted that Malaysia’s CPI has continued to decline as "elements of state” that facilitated “grand corruption” were still prevalent. Even Housing and Local Government Minister Chor Chee Heung admitted that corruption costs Malaysia RM26 billion every year.
Again, Najib has failed to walk the talk leading to not only the Malacca chief minister proudly showing off his son’s wedding with 130,000 guests, never mind who paid for it or how much it costs.
So far there are no answers to disturbing questions about the extent of the extraordinary wealth of Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud with allegations that his family is worth billions of ringgit.
The enormity of Taib’s family wealth is corroborated by the current divorce proceedings of his son Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, in which his ex-wife has revealed that he is worth at least RM1 billion, with personal accounts all over the world.
If Najib wants Malaysians to take his fight against corruption seriously, then he must institutionalise public declaration of assets. This has been done in Penang where the chief minister and the entire state exco has made a public declaration of assets that has even been certified by an international accounting firm. If Penang can do it, why can’t the prime minister and his federal cabinet do the same?
At the same time, BN leaders with extravagant lifestyle owning luxury homes, cars and even number plates must be dropped. Family members must also be barred from being involved in government businesses to avoid another RM 250 million ‘cows and condos’ National Feedlot scandal.
Another necessary element in the battle against corruption is to institutionalise open competitive tenders. Without open competitive tenders, public projects are directly negotiated and awarded to cronies causing loss of public revenue such as the cheap sale of the Sungai Besi Air Force Base land.
Can the RM386 million for 57 KR1M stores in Sabah and Sarawak or RM6.7 million per store be justified? At RM6.7 million per store, are the KR1M stores selling basic necessities like sugar, salt and rice or luxury items like jewellery and designer handbags?
In Penang, open competitive tenders were implemented immediately after the change of government in 2008 and as a result the state government has been able to achieve surplus budgets every year since, with proceeds from the savings going back to the people annually in the form of an ‘anti-corruption dividend’.
This is a result of a zero tolerance of corruption policy where Pakatan leaders pass the test to walk the talk by making a public declaration of assets, implementing open competitive tenders, barring family members from being involved with government businesses and do not have leaders with extravagant lifestyles.
Can Najib apply the same anti-corruption test?
LIM GUAN ENG is Bagan MP and Penang chief minister.
You don't find one sentence on the Scorpene scandal in the mainstream press, New Straits Times, The Star, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian. You don't hear a word about Scorpene on RTM 1 radio. RTM TV1, RTM TV2 or TV3. Tells you something, doesn't it? Such a BIG thing and not a whimper about it in the mainstream media mean the so-called journalists, radio and tv broadcasters are all UMNO-MCA-MIC paid goons. This is deception & blind-folding, to support multi-billion thefts. This is crime against the people, of astronomical proportion, against the people that elected them! Malaysia’s great tragedy. Experts say the people have lost some RM300 billion (RM300,000million) or more
ReplyDeleteBN's collapse has started. It's God's will. After all the people own the country and elect the gov't to SERVE, not to rob them.
ReplyDeleteUMNO leaders are always creating and raising false issues. Treating people like fools. These morons - the greatest disgrace to Malaysia. These won't last 3 months in bersih, democratic countries like NZ, Aust, US, UK & Canada; and you've given them 55 years & lost what experts assessed at over US100billion = RM300,000million = RM300,000,000,000.
Gerrymandering. Frauds in electoral roll with aliens, duplicates & phantoms. Buying & bribing…all using your money!. Biased EC Chiefs from UMNO. Unfair monopoly of media, heli, vehicles, boats, venues & resources. All using your money to destroy you!
PM Najib is an absolute disgrace to the human race. Not even fit t be a rat stealing rice grains, let alone a prime minister for a country of 28 million. Totally void of any human decency, integrity or sense of shame. A disgrace and tragedy for Malaysia of astronomical proportion. Malaysia we cry for you. It is a wonder that Anwar, Bersih, Suaram, and all the NGOs didn't scream for his resignation and impeachment. http://www.transparency.org/country#NZL I speak under NZ’s credentials - rated No. 1 in the world for non-corruption.
ReplyDeleteNajib: “I would like to stress here that I have never interfered in MACC’s operations. They are independent and free to carry out their investigations on anyone.” “You help me I help you.” Then likely to Musa, Taib, MACC, Shahzirat, Baginda: We saw nothing heard nothing.” Perhaps to the body guards: “Finish her off & shut her up”. “ Promises fulfilled.” Are these the thoughts and words of an honorable, ethical leader with the country’s interest at heart or someone bent on sabotaging opposition, human rights NGOs, bent on deceit, gangsterism & crimes? Answer it yourself.
ReplyDelete