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ACA and Police should set up separate special task force to investigate into MCA money politics and triad politics as alleged by the MCA President and MCA Youth leader respectively to ensure that “black gold politics” of Taiwan is nipped in the bud and does not come to MalaysiaMedia Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Penang, Monday): The Anti-Corruption Agency and the Police should set up separate special task force to investigate into MCA money politics and triad politics as alleged by the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik and the MCA Youth leader Datuk Ong Tee Keat respectively to ensure that the “black gold politics” of Taiwan is nipped in the bud and does not come to Malaysia. At the MCA’s 54th anniversary celebrations last week, Liong Sik said that money politics was creeping into the party to the tune of millions of ringgit although the matter was “not serious” at this point. In contrast, MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr. Ting Chew Peh said at the MCA anniversary celebrations that “money politics” had funded all kinds of dinners, gifts and short trips to Genting Highlands, Langkawi and Haadyai, and possibly even to Hong Kong and Guangzhou and called on members to take a serious view of money politics, which had become openly practised in MCA. Ting said the the MCA was “sick, seriously sick” though not “terminally sick”. Yesterday, the MCA Youth leader revealed that the MCA is even more “sick” than let on by the MCA secretary-general, when he disclosed that the MCA has been infiltrated by triads, which he likened to Taiwan which suffered from the politics of “black gold” which stands for triads (black) and politics (gold). Ong openly alleged that certain MCA leaders have connections with triad characters and that there are even MCA leaders with “triad” backgrounds. (Sin Chew Daily) Malaysia must not
allow the “black gold” politics of Taiwan to have the opportunity to rear
its ugly head, as it will completely negate what the founding fathers of
the nation envisaged 47 years ago and destroy the Vision 2020 objectives
of a just, equitable, compassionate and developed Malaysian society. The “black gold” politics of Taiwan refers to connections between organized crime and politics, and are manifested in at least three ways – political leaders who use underworld figures to help ensure their grip on political power; criminals who hold public office by taking part in elections and underground figures who do not hold public office but who wield great influence in political parties because of their control of criminal gangs. As Ong Tee Keat had made a very specific public allegation that certain MCA leaders have “triad” connections and that there are even MCA leaders with “triad” backgrounds, he should be asked to publicly name them, while given the full protection of the law. In his speech to the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia on his first day as Acting Prime Minister on Thursday, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi identified corruption and abuse of trust as the country’s top priorities and he called on Malaysians to fight these scourges of the nation. Abdullah should take the lead to stamp out “black gold politics” in Malaysia by giving the ACA and the police full mandate to leave no stone unturned to eliminate the pernicious cocktail in the combination of money and triad politics, and that Ministerial rank or party position would be no bar or immunity to the fullest and most thorough investigation to spare and save the country from “black gold politics”. Abdullah’s speech to the Oxbridge Society has been described as a “marker of what to expect after October from his administration”. (New Sunday Times, 9.3.03) It will be most disappointing if Abdullah’s speech last Thursday was mere rhetoric and “marker” of what is to come after October, and nothing more. If Abdullah cannot begin to lay down the line as to what is right and acceptable from what is wrong and not permissible when he is Acting Prime Minister, the chances of his present rhetoric being translated into future action are not very high. For a start, since the bane of “black gold politics” has for the first time reared its ugly head under his watch as Acting Prime Minister, Abdullah must adopt a clear and uncompromising position to root it out completely from the Malaysian soil. Strong public opinion against “black gold politics” must be mobilized, and the subject occupy priority attention in Cabinet and the parliamentary debate on the royal address beginning tomorrow. The Election Commission has been caught completely off-guard and flat-footed by the phenomenon of “black gold politics” which corrupts the very integrity and legitimacy of the electoral system and process. The Election Commission Chairman, Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman has made numerous statements about the code of conduct for political party campaigners and candidates to avoid negative campaigning, but he has never said a single word about the corrupting influence of “black gold politics” in Malaysia. He should explain how the Election Commission proposes to abolish “black gold politics” from corrupting the electoral process. (10/3/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman |