Corruption Watchdog Launched

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Be truly professional, PM tells MACC

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Malaysia launches its restructured corruption watchdog Tuesday in a storm of controversy.

Its outgoing premier Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did the honour with skeptics shaking their heads over recent double public controversies by the new anti-corruption agency's chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan.

The launching of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) by Abdullah was done with sound bites like always do the job with "impartiality" and "without fear or favour".

This message rings rather hollow in the wake of recent statements by Ahmad Said.

The MACC is supposed to be modelled on highly respected and feared Independent Commission  Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong.

It replaces the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), a totally ineffective toothless tiger subject to manipulation by the ruling political regime with  little major impact in the fight against corruption in Malaysia.
 
As immediate response to official MACC launch,Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng,who is also Democratic Action Party(DAP) secretary-general, stresses that MACC must not only be independent,but must be SEEN TO BE INDEPENDENT  and not a political tool subject to manipulation for selective prosecution by political masters.

How far and effective would the new MACC curb corruption that has almost reached terminal cancer stage in Malaysia?

Coming up with a new body might seem appealing. However,recent statements by Ahmad Said certainly do not bolster the image.

In fact, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, known for his fearless blunt criticism,has lampooned the MACC as a "Letdown".

In his blog,Lim writes a biting satire on MACC equating it as "Malaysian Agency for car and cows"

He calls on Ahmad Said to resign over his public statement blunders.


He points out that  MACC should direct its focus on big corruption scandals like RM 4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) and abuse of power by Inspector-General of Police(IGP) and Attorney-General(AG) rather than on Khalid's "car and cows" controversy and Sivakumar's suspension order in performing his role as Perak State Assembly Speaker.

MACC should also probe the Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud for alleged 1.1 billion yen (RM 32 million) lumber kickback scandal reported extensively in Japanese newspapers including the influential Yomiuri Shimbun and detailed in a letter by Japanese NGOs to Abdullah earlier.

MACC should catch the big fishes instead of the ikan bilis(small fries).

Lim, one of the longest-serving Members of Parliament in Malaysia,also states Parliament has had many controversies over decisions and rulings of the Speaker over the past four decades.
 
The ACA did not ever declare it would take action against the Speaker for any "abuse of power". 

Expressing shock that Ahmad Said has destroyed the credibility of MACC so early,Lim says Ahmad Said's announcement that MACC has "good and strong evidence"of Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's alleged misuse of state funds for his personal car maintenance and distribution of charity beef from slaughter of 46 cows at his Bandar Tun Razak  parliamentary constituency is "unprecedented step of proclaiming Tan Sri  Khalid Ibrahim guilty of corruption".

Khalid,former CEO of Guthrie Berhad,heads the People Justice Party Selangor state machinery and Selangor Mentri Besar (Chief Minister or State Governor).

At a rally of Selangor civil servants on Monday,Tan Sri Khalid denied he had misused state funds. He said the beef was distributed for charity. He did not "eat the beef or even see the meat".


Ahmad Said's charge is done without due legal process. It appears to support Khalid's predecessor,Datuk Seri Dr. Mohd Khir Toyo, who has been sued for defamation by Khalid over the allegations.

Khir Toyo is campaigning hard to win the three-corner fight for UMNO youth chief post against Mukhriz Mahathir,son of former ruthless premier Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed,and Khairy Jamaluddin,son-in-law of outgoing premier Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Khir Toyo has been making inflammatory racist remarks against Karpal Singh for stating his right to sue the Perak sultan for acting ultra vires Perak Constitution.

He was briefly detained by police on February 13,2009 for leading 500 Umno members to hand a protest letter to DAP chairman Karpal Singh at his house in Penang.

Karpal has described Khir Toyo leadership of the illegal assembly without any police permit as "unbecoming" of a former Selangor Mentri Besar.

Khairy,Umno youth deputy incumbent chief, had also earlier stirred up Umno youth members at a mass rally in Ipoh field to prevent ousted Nizar from reporting to work.


Both Khir Toyo and Khairy want to be seen as Malay heroes and loyalists to garner votes to win the youth chief post in late March.

In the midst of such politicking, Lim suggests the MACC should be professional,independent and uninfluenced by the dictates of its political masters.

Equally shocking, Lim stresses, is Ahmad Said's decision to investigate Perak State Assembly Speaker V.Sivakumar over the suspension order handed down on National Front Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr. Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six-member exco for contempt of the House.

Lim proposes the dissolution of the Perak Assembly and snap state election within 30 days to solve the current political impasse in Perak.

Perak is now stuck in historic political stalemate with hung Perak State Assembly and disputed  two rival state governorships ~ the ousted People Alliance Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin crying foul as he was dismissed by Perak sultan without proper vote of no confidence at formal sitting of the state assembly and  National Front Perak Mentri Besar Zambry urging Perakians to accept him as legitimate as he was sworn in by Perak sultan but without proper process and ratification by Perak State Assembly.

Meanwhile,Perak police quizzed Sivakumar for over two hours over the suspension order barring Zambry from the Perak State Assembly for 18 months and his six exco members each for 12 months for acting "illegally and unconstitutionally in contempt of the House.

This happened on Monday afternoon.

In reaction to the police action,Sivakumar has issued a statement clarifying he has acted in accordance with Perak Legislative Assembly (Privileges) Enactment 1959 and Article 72 of Malaysia's Federal Constitution that grant absolute immunity to all state assembly members from any civil or criminal proceedings.

"It is my belief that any investigation by the police against any member of this assembly is a violation of existing laws and legal provisions of this country," he adds,stressing police should cease investigation as he and his Special Privileges Committee members have merely performed their duties.

According to police,19 reports have been lodged for action to be taken against Sivakumar and the State Assembly Special Privileges Committee over the suspension order.

DAP Perak chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham claims Abdullah has committed contempt against the Perak State Assembly's Special Privileges Committee for urging Zambry and his six exco members to go to state assembly as usual and asking Zambry to lodge a police report against the Speaker.

"Section 3 of the Perak Legislative Assembly (Privileges) Enactment 1959 clearly states that no member of the legislative assembly shall be liable to any civil suit or criminal proceedings, arrest,imprisonment or damages for anything done or said by them in the state assembly or any committee," Ngeh argues.