I would simply suggest that when you put too much power in the hands of poorly paid officials (a relative term, of course) you have corruption. With a very large administrative staff holding untold discretionary authority over unimaginable depths of the bureaucratic mess that runs Malaysia to-day, the current revelations in the media of staggering corruption and dishonesty by both executive and legislative officials must be utterly dumbfounding, to put mildly.
The disease must be uprooted. And to begin with, belated as it is, the culprits already caught must be punished mercilessly, and wrongdoers still at large hunted and brought to swift justice to propound our commitment.
The problem as I see it is that crime is always committed for only two motives - greed and sex. And the higher the social position of the perpetrator, the bigger the incentive. And greed and license are always susceptible to opportunity.
But even if individual acts of betrayal are modest, if committed in large numbers the total damage would be extraordinary, as in the case of the corruption of many officers over a long period of time involving just a few hundred dollars per case.
I propose, because I suggest that corruption in this country is caused by too much power is in the hands of underpaid officials, we implement a system where official approval for business transactions be made speedily and transparently. There is not, therefore, the arbitrary denial or delay by many levels of authority for the necessary permission to start and operate businesses.
Between these two actions, we should very largely reduce, if not effectively remove, the temptation for corruption. The best legislation from the beginning of human community has not rid us of the basic human weaknesses and flaws of character impinging on society.
This is where religion, all religions, come in. And even then from those who ought to know because they are teaching their own particular religion, there are many who fail the test. But that is why in our own God we seek succor. To put it in a simple proposition - reduce paperwork, and increase in transparency in the Police, Custom, and Immigration, and the regulatory authorities concerned with Transportation, Power and Water Supply.
When the layers of forms are cut, there is no jamming up of paperwork. When there is tranparency, there shouldn't be reason to grab that extra dollar. It won't be perfect, but it should work.
The disease must be uprooted. And to begin with, belated as it is, the culprits already caught must be punished mercilessly, and wrongdoers still at large hunted and brought to swift justice to propound our commitment.
The problem as I see it is that crime is always committed for only two motives - greed and sex. And the higher the social position of the perpetrator, the bigger the incentive. And greed and license are always susceptible to opportunity.
But even if individual acts of betrayal are modest, if committed in large numbers the total damage would be extraordinary, as in the case of the corruption of many officers over a long period of time involving just a few hundred dollars per case.
I propose, because I suggest that corruption in this country is caused by too much power is in the hands of underpaid officials, we implement a system where official approval for business transactions be made speedily and transparently. There is not, therefore, the arbitrary denial or delay by many levels of authority for the necessary permission to start and operate businesses.
Between these two actions, we should very largely reduce, if not effectively remove, the temptation for corruption. The best legislation from the beginning of human community has not rid us of the basic human weaknesses and flaws of character impinging on society.
This is where religion, all religions, come in. And even then from those who ought to know because they are teaching their own particular religion, there are many who fail the test. But that is why in our own God we seek succor. To put it in a simple proposition - reduce paperwork, and increase in transparency in the Police, Custom, and Immigration, and the regulatory authorities concerned with Transportation, Power and Water Supply.
When the layers of forms are cut, there is no jamming up of paperwork. When there is tranparency, there shouldn't be reason to grab that extra dollar. It won't be perfect, but it should work.
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