SEPT 20 — The only crime committed by Suaram – it seems – it had
dared to expose the massive corruption involving the Ministry of Defence
when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was the defence
minister.
The purchase of the Scorpene submarines is a scandal that can be termed as the mother of all scandals.
It cost taxpayers hundreds of million ringgit; it cost a Mongolian
beauty her very life; it had caused the disappearance of records from
the immigration system involving Altantuya’s entry into Malaysia; it led
to a mystery over the release of the C4 explosives without
authorisation to blow up a human body into smithereens; it perpetuated
the puzzle regarding the conviction of two police personnel who had no
motive to commit murder; it freed Razak Baginda, the lover of the
murdered Mongolian beauty, without the prosecution appealing this
bewildering court decision.
All this and the hidden hands of those involved in this scandal are
in danger of being exposed with the case coming up in the French court.
It is this fear, according to many thinking Malaysians, that has set the
ball rolling to demonise and harass Suaram without let up.
It is clearly a political decision, some argue, to go after Suaram
and divert attention from the real issues of massive corruption.
It is no secret that Suaram was registered as a company. Its annual
reports and statement of accounts, one would presume, have been
regularly submitted to the Registrar of Companies as required by law.
Otherwise the law would have gone after them especially when the group
are known to be a pain in the BN’s butt.
Their source of income and lawful activities are an open book for
those who cared to scrutinise. It is unlikely that the government would
have shut an eye if there was anything questionable or deserving
prosecution.
We wonder why nothing was suspected about their activities all these
years. How come nothing was wrong with their functioning as a human
rights organisation before this political furore broke out? Why were no
questions raised regarding their sources of funding before this?
For more than two decades, what they did and received was not an
issue – it had never been! They were recognised as a legitimate society
operating in the open for the good of the country.
So why did it suddenly become an issue? Why the turn of events now?
Is it because Suaram had decided to pursue the reeking corruption in the
purchase of the Scorpene submarines? Is it because names and identities
of the unsavoury characters who have been robbing the country and
plundering the national coffers have to be protected and hidden from
public exposure? That seems to be the case.
The BN, as perceived by many, has never gone out of its way to curb
and eradicate corruption. In fact it has gone with a vengeance after
whistle-blowers who had on many occasions the temerity to expose
horrendous corruption in public life.
The recent example of PKR’s Rafizi Ramli is a case in point. He
exposed the RM250m National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) scandal. He has
been charged in court for this. He is also facing four charges under
the Banking and Financial Institutions Act (Bafia) relating to the
NFCorp exposé.
Well, with the 13th General Election imminent, the ongoing
investigation by the French court into the procurement of the Scorpene
submarines threatens to blow the lid off the closely guarded corruption.
Many heads, for sure, will roll. Many so-called respectable persons
will be exposed as imposters and avaricious politicians. This will cost
the Barisan Nasional the elections.
This is the only reason why Suaram is being hounded and harassed.
But thinking Malaysians will not be fooled. They know what is
happening. They know the track record of the BN. They know it is time
for change!
It seems, to stop corruption, you must defeat the BN!
P Ramakrishnan, immediate past president, now serves on the Aliran Executive Committee
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