MACC, do us proud

By Terence Fernandez (The Sun)

WHEN it comes to dispelling a doubt as to whether one is doing the right thing, always apply the reasonable man’s test. This was one of the first things you learn in the lessons on application of the law.

Hence, public perception should and ought to count for something as we would like to consider that the majority of people are reasonable folk with a clear definition of right and wrong.

The letters we receive as columnists are testament to the views and thinking of the larger population and I would like to reproduce two of them to show that people are observant and articulate about the goings on around them and do not suffer fools lightly.

First is a note from Kalai on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC):

MACC seems to be the flavour of the week, having scored a hat-trick of sorts with Nades and yourself writing about it in the last three days! After all the hype before and after the passage of the MACC Bill in Parliament, the MACC has come out to be the same powerless wimp as the former ACA. MACC will be able to deliver only when its leadership is made of people of high integrity and courage to do what needs to be done without being beholden to their political masters.

When corruption is readily assimilated as a culture by the political parties, as was seen in BN readily accepting the two assemblymen charged with corruption, to force the change of government in Perak, then corruption only breeds more corruption with everyone having a finger in the pie.

The list of corruption cases highlighted by theSun to the then ACA and now renamed as MACC is staggering, involving many in high places, yet not one big fish was netted.

So, when the chief of MACC declares that it has a strong case to indict the current Selangor MB on a petty case of cows and car, investigated in super speed record time, what does that tell you of his independence from his political masters?

Will the MACC chief come out with the same gusto to explain why a Malaysian pilot convicted in Australia for child pornography was not investigated by the local police nor was he sacked by his employers? He can punch his chest and announce to all and sundry that he is acting without fear and favour but the shallowness of his actions on the eve of the official launch of MACC is clear for all to see that he is in fact acting with fear and favour.

Until we can have brave men and women of high principle and integrity who are not beholden to any political master and stand on high moral grounds heading the MACC, corruption is here to stay.

What Kalai articulates is worth pondering. Action at the end of the day, speaks louder than words. And the MACC for all its fanfare has yet to prove itself.

One wonders if it will embark on its investigation into the dodgy property deals in Mecca purportedly linked to the previous Selangor mentri besar, as it speedily did on the cows-and-car investigation on the present mentri besar; as well as the allegations of abuse of power against the Perak state assembly speaker.

The people are watching and waiting with bated breath. And if Citizen Nades and I seem to be harping on the MACC, it is not because we lack issues. It is just that the MACC cannot go down the same path as it did when it was the Anti-Corruption Agency.

All the hoopla surrounding this new and improved agency with five tiers of checks-and-balances will amount to nothing but a big fat expensive joke.

In the meantime, I suspect even the Dewan Negara and Dewan Rakyat speakers must now watch themselves as there seems to be no such thing as absolute privilege which we all assumed were accorded to speakers of the legislative assemblies.

I also received an interesting email from a reader in Subang Jaya about my last column on politics and schools. I would like to share excerpts of Retired School Teacher’s letter with you:

I would like to draw your attention to what (deputy education minister) Datuk Wee Ka Siong said that there was no letter from MOE (Ministry of Education) to stop schools from inviting (Pakatan Rakyat) PR leaders in the states run by PR.

Last year after the general election, school principals in Selangor were briefed by the Selangor Education Department director that they were not allowed to invite Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders for any school function nor hang the new MB’s photo in schools. They were told that the order came from MOE. MOE did not issue a circular to schools about this. However, it is understood that any school head going against the order will be duly punished in different ways, such as transfer to a less prestigious school, not considered for promotion, etc. Teachers will also face the same fate.

As such, in SRK(C) Sin Ming’s case, it is not surprising that the teachers and headmaster did not turn up for the event for fear of repercussion.

Of course, without evidence, one cannot accuse Wee or the ministry of playing partisan politics. But herein lies the problem. They cannot escape public perception. The fact that the entire teaching staff was absent during the ceremony indicates that an order did come from somewhere. So they still have a lot of explaining to do.

Hey, the mentri besar is coming to your school lah! As the son of a retired headmaster myself I can vouch that it will be all hands on deck when a VIP comes a-visiting.

As my dad served in Kelantan I remember the number of times he found himself in the middle of political spats between some of the Barisan Nasional-affiliated civil service and the VIPs from PAS.

To solve his problem, he stopped inviting VIPs from both camps to school functions limiting the guests of honour to the mosque imam and former students who had done well in life. At the end of the day, I think our children are better off looking up to such individuals rather than so-called grown-ups who let petty partisanship blot their responsibilities.