Really? Really?
By LIM MUN FAH/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/Sin Chew Daily
A very eye-catching photo was published on the cover page of Sin Chew Daily Thursday (13 Aug). It was eye-catching as the overjoyed man standing in the middle of the photo was laughing so hard.
He was former Land and Cooperative Development Minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam. After former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said five years ago that he wanted to catch 18 corrupt “big fishes”, Kasitah became the first Cabinet minister who was sacked over corruption allegations, and he started to become a well-known news headline figure since then.
Kasitah, who “has never thought that he could be acquitted”, was not the first former senior official that played the “game” with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and left the courtroom with a smile. Over the past three months, three persons, including former Federal Police Commercial Crime CID Director Datuk Ramli Yusoff, Tourism Malaysia Director-General Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab and former Felcra Director-General Datuk Mustapa Juman, were acquitted because the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case on their charges.
Despite the repeatedly defeated MACC still said that the acquittals of several “big shots” would not weaken the commission’s determination, the civil society was in an uproar. Some people were shocked while some were wondering why.
Although the MACC keep promising that “we will do our best”, the civil society no longer dares to answer “correct, correct”. Instead, they suspiciously ask: “Really? Really?”
There are at least two possibilities for MACC’s repeat failure: the commission has got the wrong persons or the investigation officers’ abilities are doubtful. If so, the officers have to take the blame and resign.
No matter how, MACC must prove it with actions and facts that it is not incompetence and definitely not a toothless tiger when it come face to face with high-ranking officials.
The people is going to believe that MACC will never turn a blind eye to either a “small fish” or a “big shark” only if the commission is able to laugh until the end.
Only by this, the nitpicking people will no longer keep asking “Really? Really?” Instead, they will give MACC a thumbs-up and praise “correct, correct”!
