M’sian leaders still lack the will to fight corruption

ARCHIVES 2009

By admin-s On Sep 26, 2009

(Malaysian Mirror) KUALA LUMPUR – As far as Paul Low, president of the local chapter of Transparency International, is concerned corruption remains rampant in the country and this will not change because “sadly, there is a lack of commitment in certain quarters, especially among the top leaders”.

In a no-holds-barred interview with the Malaysian Mirror, Paul took time off from his busy schedule to voice his misgivings about the current trend in the country, especially given the recent emergence of several high-profile cases that have grabbed even international attention.

“They don’t walk the talk. They don’t mean what they say and they don’t do what they said they should do. The issue here is commitment,” Low minced no words.

“In TI our mission is to curb corruption through international and national coalitions encouraging governments to establish and implement effective laws, policies and anti-corruption programmes.

“We strive to strengthen public support and understanding for anti-corruption programmes and enhance public transparency and accountability in international business transactions and in the administration of public and private procurement.

“As you can see there are a lot of things happening in our country that have undermined our nation’s image as a place for investment and made the society question the level of corruption prevailing.

“The mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock, Port Klang Free Zone scandal, (Umno leader) Khir Toyo’s grand mansion to name a few, also make us wonder where is the integrity, transparency and competency level of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.”

Still at it – catching the ikan bilis and letting go the ikan kurau

Low was also scathing about the progress made so far by the MACC. Despite a high-profile revamp early this year , the agency has done little to change public perception that it was a tool of the government and did not act independently, without fear of favour.

“This happen when a person of a higher status is freed and those who are small fries get caught. It seems like there is something amiss with the system or the authorities. If there is not, why do they catch the small fishes and let the big ones get away,” he asked.