The MACC Corruption Prevention Advisory Board has recommended to the PM that ‘Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers and their immediate family members take a statutory declaration to declare their assets and records to be kept with the MACC’. Whilst I agree with this proposal, I would further add that Secretaries and all other political appointees staffing the office of Ministers and Deputy Ministers must also be required to declare their assets too. I am told that these are the people that act as ‘gate keepers’ and they would do the ‘negotiation’ first with the businessman prior to them being brought in to see their bosses. There have been talks of such cases in the past, and the recent revelation of secretaries receiving monthly payment from businessman may proof that such allegations are true.
Although the recommendation may sound good and well intended, I however do not believe that it will gain the support of those affected. As at now, there is already resistance from Minister in PM Department Nazri Aziz who felt that Cabinet Ministers and their family members should not submit their declaration to the MACC; rather it should only be submitted to the PM. He went further to say that family members should not be required to declare their assets for this may be dangerous.
Honestly, I do not know what Nazri Aziz means by dangerous. Does he mean that exposing too much of the family’s wealth can be the subject of a public investigation? Why has Nazri Aziz to fear if the declaration is honest, truthful and that the assets are not obtained through corrupt means? If PM Najib does accept Nazri Aziz’s proposal, then this defeats the purpose of being transparent and it would only raise public perception that if the declaration is to be submitted for the eyes of the PM only, then the declaration will be subject to abuse and the details in the declaration will not be honest and truthful. If the PM does accept Nazri Aziz’s proposal, the question asked would then be, “who would be scrutinizing the PM’s declaration?”
Regardless of how the proposal is to be implemented (if ever it is to be implemented), I still believe that the Penang government’s method is the most acceptable for the moment. It even allows the people to have access to the declaration by having it posted in the government’s website. There is nothing to fear if one is honest and incorruptible, and I am quite sure this method will be most welcomed by the people. However, I note that the declaration does not include family members which can be a cause of public mistrust and suspicion.
I would say that corruption among politicians (ministers and deputy ministers included) today is already a household word and is an embedded culture; a cancer of sort. I do not need to justify my statement because it is already in public domain. I do not see any will by the government to eradicate this ‘cancerous disease’ that is well rooted in every nook and corner of the civil service, and in the confines of the offices of some of our political masters. I fear the worse for this country if corruption cannot be uprooted, and if nothing drastic is done, rest assured this bless country of ours is doomed to failure.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
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7 comments:
Dato, All declarations in whatever form it comes must win the full confidence and trust of the people. After all, corruptions big or small in most cases involves the rakyat's money and the public servant whose salary comes from the tax-payers. So, the general perception expected from the rakyat must be a clean, honest and non-corruptable Govt.
Dato'
You agree to the proposal of the Assets Decl. to be kept by MACC ?
With the proofs of what MACC really is ?
I never knew you were misled by MACC all this while!
Sad, sad.
Dato,
The proposal of declaring the assets will never see the light of the day simply because all the ministers, their deputies, their political secretaries, etc all have too much dirt on themselves. The government's chief jester Nazri has already start the objection ball rolling by his half baked lame excuse. Very soon, we will witness Muhyiddin coming out with his own lame excuse followed by a host of UMNO ministers such as Hishamuddin and the likes.
Why is it that people like Ananda Krishnan, Robert Quok, et al are not afraid of being listed in Forbes magazine while someone like Nazri is afraid that declaring his and his family's assets will be dangerous to him and his family. It must be that he has a few hundred million dollars. I too would be afraid to declare my assets if I have a few hundred million dollars.
Dato,what Nazri Aziz is doing is comfirming the public's perception that corruption is the norm of the day in the Umno/BN regime.With a trillion ringgit of illegal outflows snakily creeping out of the country in the last ten years,one has to wonder how long the country can last before it is run to the ground.
With the country's coffers almost empty,national debt soaring through the roof,natural resources depleting it is no surprise if the country is another PIGG'S nation in the making.Even the cash flushed EPF is not spared.The EPF is now the biggest lender to the GOM and its subsideries the GLC's and even two crony indiviguals without any collateral.
Dato,
This clown Nazri as usual is talking cock with the rubbish that it is dangerous to declarer's safety. Really..la..what lawyer is he having this sort of thinking. I think the fact he is trying to say maybe dangerous in that sense with all the unaccounted wealth and property they may end up in Sg. Buloh. That's more to it. If the Ministers and others who obtained their wealth legitimately has nothing to fear.
See those rich tycoons in Malaysia like the Lim, Quek and YTL people are not afraid to make known their assets.Why? As long as they got through legal means they have nothing to fear. The same goes with well known billionaires all over the world. Why our Ministers and exPMs and UMNO leaders and MPs are so afraid to declare their assets? Well, your guess is as good as mine. Chinese saying,its because their wealth cannot 'expose to sunlight'. Dont even talk about going to Forbes and other magazines. This Nazri guy thinks the people are stupid.
Action talks louder than words,
Salam Dato'
Either they declare their assets or not, it never get my confidence & trust. Once my trust has been betrayed, it is very, very hard for them to get my trust again and it never will.
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