Good governance is all we ask
By R. Nadeswaran, The Sun
THREE weeks ago, a news report said Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Dr George Chan was irked that people, particularly journalists, are investigating his private life, especially his relationship with his new wife, businesswoman Lorna Enan Mulloon. Two weeks ago, Tourism Minister Datuk Ng Yen Yen, who in the course of an interview with Terence Fernandez, asked: But I am curious as to why theSun is after the Tourism Ministry?
Let’s accept the fact that politicians are public servants. There is no getting away from this. We elect our MPs and state assemblymen, some of whom end up as members of the federal cabinet or as members of the executive council of state governments. They make laws and draw up policies and in theory, they are the people’s representatives, hence the word wakil rakyat. We expect them to be professional and have impeccable moral and ethical principles. If someone is elected to represent us in Parliament or the state assembly on matters affecting our lives, our environment and the way we lead our lives, we have a right to expect a decent standard of behaviour and integrity of them.
When some of them come a-calling during campaign time, they bring along their wives and children to portray their “family-oriented” image only to reveal their dark side after they find themselves elected to public office. Would we as voters not have the right to know his personality and conduct before we cast our votes? Would you have voted for him if he had been a paedophile or a philanderer?
There is no suggestion that any of our lawmakers fall into these categories but the Italian prime minister’s latest brush with the law is illustrative. He has gained notoriety with his relationship with younger women. While we are not as permissive as the Italians, would we have tolerated someone, even if he paid for sex with an adult or had illicit sex with someone not his wife?
Would you have voted for someone if you had known that he used his position to alienate land to his family members of his cronies? Don’t the media have a role to demand and get answers when they discover the deals and the favouritism shown? In campaign rounds, the candidates claim that they are true-blooded Malaysians and promise loyalty to the king and country. Later, you discover their darker secrets. Would you have voted for him or her had you known that he or she had dual citizenship or permanent residence status in another country?
This brings us to Yen Yen’s question. theSun (we can’t speak for other publications) does not go after any ministry or any personality. We go after misuse and abuse of public funds, the failure to follow procedure, failure to be transparent and accountable – all of which are guiding principles of good governance. The reason why the Tourism Ministry and its agencies are on our radar are simple – we have discovered so much of abuse (and are continuing to do so) that we take it as our responsibility to the taxpayers to tell them that their hard-earned money is not spent in accordance with the principles. Why is it that the same ministry seems to be carrying out one activity after another which raises suspicion?
When news of children of senior officers getting involved with tenders and contracts reach our ears, our antennas, naturally go up. And when the offenders leave a paper trail and do not cover their tracks, the task becomes even easier. When we check the leads from our sources, we discover familiar names and companies. Is it wrong for us to follow-up on tip-offs from our sources? Is it wrong to demand for good governance when public money is spent? Does it mean that we are “after the Tourism Ministry”?
No, Madam. If you keep your house in order, we will have no interest in it at all. If proper procedures had been followed, you could just open your books and throw them at us. The answer to all the problems that afflict the ministry is to practise good governance. Those not involved in evaluation and procurement should keep their butts out and their voices to themselves. Even a hint on any bid is unacceptable because taxpayers voted for people expecting them to have the highest level of integrity. Anything less would invite further queries and we are certainly entitled to put question marks over any or all of the answers given.
