MACC should seek court opinion whether Najib’s RM5 million donation to MACC Yayasan Prihatin fall under the definition of “corruption” because of the 1MDB scandal and the MACC vetting of BN candidate list
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad should seek court opinion whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s donation of MR5 million to MACC Yayasan Prihatin could fall under definition of “corruption” because of the ongoing 1MDB scandal and the MACC vetting the Barisan Nasional candidate list.
This is important for the integrity, independence and professionalism of MACC and its officers and should not be taken lightly whether by the MACC Chief Commissioner and its officers.
Nobody begrudges the Yayasan Prihatan getting RM5 million allocation, but it must not give rise to “conflict-of-interest” issues especially involving Najib.
Najib made the RM5 million allocation for Yayasan Prihatin SPRM, a foundation set up to look after the welfare of MACC personnel, when opening the new MACC headquarters in Putrajaya yesterday.
Najib said: “We know that MACC personnel work hard day and night, hence we need to give moral support towards the welfare of MACC personnel. Hopefully, this will lift their spirits to fight all out against corruption.”
I have no doubt that the majority of Malaysians would be asking whether MACC personnel had worked “day and night” in pursuit of the “sharks” in Malaysian corruption, and in particular in their investigation into the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal!
This does not seem to be the case, as all that the MACC had nabbed so far are “ikan bilis” and “medium-sized” fishes but not “sharks”, which is in great contrast to the “dragons” in China and “crocodiles” in Indonesia which are frequently brought to face the consequences of the anti-corruption laws.
Furthermore, if SPRM officers had “worked day and night” to fight corruption, how did Malaysia end up with the worst reputation on corruption in the nation’s 60 year-history, with Malaysia becoming overnight as a “global kleptocracy”!
Malaysia’s record in fighting corruption is also a dismal one if we look back the past two decades, as recorded the annual Corruption Perception Index (CPI) reports of Transparency International (TI) since 1995.
In 1995, Malaysia was ranked No. 23 out of 41 countries, with a CPI score above the half-way point of 5.2 out of 10 (which is best score for the least corrupt nation).
In the past 22 years, Malaysia’s record in fighting corruption got worse over the years despite trebling of the anti-corruption agency’s annual budget allocation from some RM95 million in 1995 to some RM260 million in 2016 and increase in MACC personnel. In 2016, Malaysia’s ranking fell to No 55 while CPI score was below the half-way mark of 49 out of 100.
Why is this the case?
Can Dzulkifli explain why China and Indonesia, which were ranked as the last two countries in the list of 41 countries in the 1995 TI CPI, had been able to make steady progress in the anti-corruption front, as seen by the TI CPI 2016, where China was ranked No. 79 out of 176 countries with a CPI score of 40 out of 100, while Indonesia climbed from the bottom of the list to No. a respectable No. 90 out of 176 countries with a score of 37 out of 100.
Najib had launched a nation-wide roadshow about TN 2050 for Malaysia to scale new heights of achievement, but according to TI CPI records, Malaysia will be overtaken by both China and Indonesia as countries which scored success in fighting corruption. If the trend of the last 22 years persist, then by 2050, both China and Indonesia will be regarded by the world as having more integrity and successful in fighting corruption than Malaysia.
This is not progress but regression for Malaysia!
Najib was very proud yesterday to declare open the world’s biggest anti-corruption complex. This is in fact something for Malaysians to be ashamed – Malaysia holding the world record as having the biggest complex for its anti-corruption commission, at a time when Malaysia is regarded worldwide as a “global kleptocracy” and the Prime Minister openly dismissed in the world as “kleptocrat” and “Malaysian Offical One MO1”!
What is the cost of the new MACC hqrs? MACC should have a modest headquarters but sterling record in fighting corruption, without fear or favour, with corrupt elected or appointed arrested for corruption or abuses of power – regardless of how high a status he corrupt holds in government or public office.
Instead we are doing the opposite – having the world’s largest complex for her anti-corruption commission while Malaysia is being dragging futher down the slippery slope by rampant corruption and abuses of power.
Najib said yesterday: “Corruption is a threat to the nation, our civilization, society and our country’s future.
“If we can curb and combat corruption, Malaysia will be more successful – highly regarded and more respected, and be at the forefront as envisaged in the TN50 (National Transformation 2050) Vision.”
Malaysians are quite tired of the meaningless platitudes from their political leaders whether Prime Minister or just ordinary Ministers making “motherhood” speeches and statements which they have absolutely no intention of complying
Najib’s words on corruption are empty and meaningless unless he is prepared to clear and cleanse Malaysia’s reputation of the indignity, infamy and ignominy of 1MDB scandal and a global kleptocracy.
Having the world’s biggest anti-corruption headquarters become an international joke when Malaysia plunges relentlessly down TI Corruption Perception Index for Malaysia to become a kleptocracy!