ARE WE SEEING A FAILED MACC?

'MACC MAN FED UP WITH POLITICIANS' reads the title of a report in NST dated August 16th, 2009. And it appears that MACC's head of investigation Datuk Shukri Abdul has decided to suspend temporarily several on-going investigations involving politicians with an excuse being that “his men felt that they could not carry out their duties effectively in cases involving politicians as they were being slammed no matter what they did”. This is a statement uttered by a defeatist, and if this were the sorts of statement uttered by a military field commander in the midst of battle, the commander would either be court martialed or even send to the gallows.

I am surprise that for a person who have served more than 20 years with the ACA and now MACC, he could no longer withstand the pressure of his work, that he has vowed execute. It would have been more honourable if he resigns, rather than to utter such a statement and be mocked by society.

I have somewhat watched the antics of MACC officers especially after the March 8, 2008 General Elections, and it is obvious to me that the MACC seemed to have practiced selective investigation, rather than to act as a neutral body free of any political interference; inferred or otherwise. Believe you me, this is also the general perception of the man in the street; the people that I meet and talked to daily. Most are not politicians, and some are vehement that the MACC is indeed a political tool. The MACC will never understand this because their outlook is so blinkered, and are oblivious to the pulse of the ordinary people. Honestly, power has corrupted them; hence they have lost sight of humility, humane, rational thinking, caring, patience and understanding that is highly desired of them in the performance of their duties.

Now with Datuk Shukri's statement, where will the ongoing investigations lead us to. What will become of the PKFZ investigations that is so serious and politically linked to the MCA, and by inference with the government? Will it be kept in wrap, only to be reviewed comes doomsday? What about the investigations of alleged corruption of the two former Perak PKR state assemblymen who jumped boat, and are now in the safe clutches of UMNO? What about the alleged corruption of former MB Selangor Khir Toyo and his multi million ringgit palace? What about the RM500,000 allocation spend by each former Selangor BN state assemblymen within 2 months prior to the March 8, 2008 General Elections? Are these not important cases that are clearly linked to the political parties of the present ruling government? And why the extreme silence?

I recognised that I am a retired government officer and that does not mean that I should remain blind and mute to the corrupt practices of those in power. I will not be doing justice as a loyal citizen of this country if I fail to voice my feelings regarding corruption to others who cares. If someone were to ask me as to why I should be seen to display an anti government stance. My answer would be that I am only taught to be loyal to the King and country; not to be subservient to any politician.

I have served the nation as a military officer and had seen duties with the United Nations in troubled Cambodia. I had been in the Malaysian jungles seeking out the enemy months on end, and only to return home awhile to see my little children running away from me. I have never been involved in corruption; nor have I taken a cent from any businessman. My father had once said to me that if ever he knew that I am corrupt, he will disowned me. I am glad that until the day he passed away, I was able to honour what he said of corruption.

I know my writings on corruption have hurt some people, and my only answer to them is that they should not be hurt if they are not in anyway involved in corruption. It is only those who are involved will be hurt by what I write, and my guess is that those who are hurt are indeed corrupt.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION