While the recent conviction of an MP speaks well of the MACC, there are still bigger fish out there yet to be caught.
Abdul Rahman was sentenced to six years’ jail and fined RM400,000 last week after being found guilty for making false claims amounting to RM80,000 four years ago.
TI-M president Paul Low said that the graft busters have begun to shed the negative perception that arose following the deaths of political aide Teoh Beng Hock and Selangor Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed at the MACC offices.
“I think they are at least learning to be more effective. They are becoming much more capable of gathering evidence and putting together a case in court,” Low said.
However, he said that MACC still suffered from an “organisational problem” which could be solved if the Attorney-General’s Chambers worked more closely with the commission.
“Rather than having the A-G and MACC sending investigation papers back and forth, they should work together,” he said.
Low warned that despite a more positive perception towards the MACC, there were still a number of cases up in the air.
“Like in the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) case, there are still people believed to be responsible who were not brought to court. We also have the Alstom case (Alstom has denied that a RM133 million fine by the Swiss authorities was for bribery, saying it was not being investigated in Malaysia), Bank Negara polymer bank note issue (a former Bank Negara assistant governor
has been charged with accepting bribes over a note printing contract), and the various allegations against Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud” he said.
Low said that in several instances, the overseas authorities had taken action but the local anti-corruption enforcement seemed to be lacking.
“But to be fair, I believe some things need time… like the gathering of evidence.”
Low applauded recent proposals about asset declaration made by the MACC, saying that “it appears that the MACC panels are becoming more upfront in influencing authorities to make changes”.
Meanwhile, a vocal consumer rights activist expressed his scepticism over MACC’s effectiveness and supposed reforms.
Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (CASSA) president Jacob George said that except for Abdul Rahman and former Selangor menteri besar Dr Khir Toyo (who was sentenced to one year in jail for corruption over the purchase of his Balinese mansion), there seems to be a lack of “big sharks” being prosecuted.
“You see a conviction (in the case of Khir), but it is still open to appeal and people are watching closely. I don’t see real political will here and the feeling on the ground is that it is mere
sandiwara (theatrics)… unless they [MACC] can… go after the big sharks and not small timers,” he said.
George said people have been talking about how so much has been exposed on the National Feedlot Centre scandal but there has been no concrete action.
“The NFC is a clear-cut case. Look at the agreement and a first-year law student can see that they [operators] have breached their contract,” he said.
George also said that the case of former MAS executive chairman Tajudin Ramli also raised many questions on the sincerity of the authorities.
“There are also cases related to procurements by the Defence Ministry… the submarine deals… the various irregularities mentioned in the Auditor-General’s report. Nobody will take them seriously unless they [the authorities] take action against the heavy-weights.”
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