Bukit Antarabangsa Residents Slam Shabery Cheek's Insensitive Attempt To Spread The Blame

Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek should be more sensitive towards the feelings of the residents who have suffered so much as result of the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide tragedy last Saturday.

Residents action committee chairman Datuk N. Muneandy said his statement Tuesday was uncalled for in light of the recent tragedy and only served to add fuel to the frustration and dismay already felt by the victims.

Ahmad Shabery reportedly told residents not to point fingers solely at the Government as both developers and housebuyers who chose to live in highland areas were equally to be blamed and should accept responsibility for what happened.

“Are you saying we should blame the mother for giving birth to the thief?” he told reporters Wednesday, adding that residents had invested millions of ringgit to purchase homes there.

Muneandy said there had been many signals over the years to indicate that the soil structure was unstable but complaints to the local authorities had fallen on deaf ears.

He said the complaints for the past five to 10 years have touched on various issues including cracks in drains and falling rubble and trees at the current landslide site.

“We want the authorities to do something to safeguard the future safety of residents there. The buck must stop here,” he said.

Muneandy said the committee would be bringing in their own geo-technical and legal experts to look into the soil structure at the landslide area which killed four people and resulted in nearly 3,000 being temporarily evacuated from their homes.

“We will collect evidence on what exactly happened and who is responsible. Then, we will consider whether to sue those responsible,” he said.

The committee, which represents the residents of four streets in Taman Wangsa, Wangsa Heights and Antanium, also told the Government to provide more information to the residents’ committee, claiming they were being kept in the dark over plans to alleviate problems caused by the landslide.

“We have not been told about what is happening. We are left wondering what to expect next,” he said.

Read the whole story HERE

***** Did we really expect any thing different from a government minister? If Shabery had his way he'll totally absolve the kerajaan and place the blame solely on the residents and the developers. MBs, Exco members and Majlis officials will be exonerated and described as completely honest and dedicated public servants. Malaysia Boleh!!

No More Permits For Hillside Projects Says Najib. How Many Times Have We Heard This Same Bullshit?

The Government will not be issuing any more permits for hillside developments following the landslide tragedy at Bukit Antarabangsa early Saturday morning.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said this on Saturday at a press conference after visiting the tragedy site.

He also told developers not to lobby or pressure the Government for any building permits for hillside development projects.

He said preventive measures must be taken to avoid hillside tragedies.

At about 4am Saturday, a landslide occurred at Taman Bukit Mewah in Bukit Antarabangsa that buried at least 14 houses.

***** As a people, Malaysians must be sick and tired of the government's assurances every time such a tragedy occurs. After a short period of mourning it is back to business as usual - The MBs keep enriching themselves by influencing the doling out of permits and the local authority bigwigs keep filling their private coffers by allowing development wherever the developer wants, as long as they pay the considerable bribes. One feels such a sense of helplessness amidst all the corruption and unwillingness of the government to at least do something about it. Terrible.

Among the many earlier posts:
1) DBKL - Another Greedy Bungler.
2) Bungalow Development At Bukit Gasing - Can We Believe DBKL?

Singapore Still Least Corrupt Country In Asia. Malaysia Mediocre As Usual

Just like last year, Singapore has been ranked the fourth least corrupt country in a global corruption survey.

It also retains its status as Asia's least corrupt country on the Corruption Perceptions Index, released yesterday by Transparency International (TI).

Conducted annually by the Berlin-based non-governmental corruption watchdog, the index studies the level of public sector corruption in 180 countries and ranks them according to scores. A score of 10 indicates highly clean and 0 means highly corrupt.

It defines corruption as the abuse of public office for private gain and measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians.

In this year's index, Singapore scores 9.2, behind joint-leaders Denmark, Sweden and New Zealand, all of which obtained a 9.3 score. At the other end are Somalia (1.0), Iraq and Myanmar (1.3) and Haiti (1.4).

Asian economies which placed significantly are Hong Kong (12th), Japan (18th), Taiwan (39th), South Korea (40th) and Malaysia (47th).

Last year, Singapore was ranked joint-fourth with Sweden, behind Denmark, Finland and New Zealand. It came in fifth from 2003 to 2006.

Dr Johann Graf Lambsdorff of the University of Passau in Germany, who draws up the index, said Singapore's long tradition of strong oversight is an example for best practices in Asia.

Mr Liao Ran, TI's senior programme coordinator for East and South Asia, said factors contributing to Singapore's ranking included a strong commitment from political leaders; education, which has bred a culture of integrity among citizens; a sound and comprehensive legal framework; and an effective anti-corruption agency.

TI said the index continues to show there is a link between corruption and poverty. It also underlines the benefits of fighting corruption.

'Evidence suggests that an improvement in the index by one point increases capital inflows by 0.5 per cent of a country's gross domestic product and average incomes by as much as 4 per cent,' Dr Lambsdorff said.

TI also said the index shows that wealthy countries such as France and the United Kingdom, whose scores have slipped, need to step up their anti-corruption mechanisms.

Professor Neo Boon Siong, director of the Asia Competitiveness Institute of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said Singapore's fourth position was a significant achievement.

A good ranking helps attract investments as it makes doing business here more predictable and cheaper, he said.

As to whether Singapore can reach the top of the index, he said: 'The real difference among the top leaders is not very wide. The actual ranking itself is not the main issue, because being ranked among the top few is a clear recognition the country is corruption-free.'

The index is computed with data from 13 corruption-related polls and surveys carried out this and last year by institutions like the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report. (Straits Times, Singapore)

***** Statements like 'strong commitment from political leaders, culture of integrity and an effective anti-corruption agency' are alien concepts to the ketuanan-obsessed mutton heads who rule Malaysia. No wonder the score is Singapore - 4, Malaysia - 47. Malaysia Boleh!

Civil Service Retirement Age To Be Raised To 58

The government is set to raise the retirement age for civil servants to 58 years from the present 56 in response to a proposal by the Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs), sources familiar with the matter said.

The decision to raise the retirement age had already been finalised by the government and an announcement would be made very soon, a source told The Edge Financial Daily.

Cuepacs president Omar Osman, however, said the union was unaware of any such decision and had not heard anything from the government since its last meeting earlier this month.

Earlier this month, Cuepacs said the government had agreed to consider several of its requests, including raising the retirement age limit to 60, scrapping the efficiency level assessment test, reinstatement of critical and housing allowance for the support group and pension payments to be based on actual years of service.

Cuepacs had also asked for an honorarium payment of RM2,000 for each government employee in lieu of non-payment of bonus last year, but this was rejected by the government.

Malaysia is the only country in Southeast Asia, apart from Brunei, where the retirement age is 56. In neighbouring Singapore, the retirement age is 62.

RAM Holdings Bhd chief economist Dr Yeah Kim Leng said there was a need to extend the retirement age in Malaysia to be in line with international standards and demographic trends. “Life span has increased now with modern healthcare. The increase in the retirement age could also reduce the need to recruit new workers in certain sectors which are over-employed,” he said when asked to comment on the government’s decision. Nonetheless, he said those who wanted to retire voluntarily must be allowed to do so.

He said a decision to increase the retirement age would particularly benefit services like local authorities, the police force and medical care that now faced acute shortage of experienced personnel.

Yeah said for the sectors where there was a shortage of skilled and experienced workers, this would be an opportune time to increase productivity and for the older workers to share their wealth of knowledge.

“But there has to be a balance in terms of retaining skilled or experienced workforce versus the increase in expenditure outlay. As long as productivity of the worker is maintained, raising the age and the related expenditure would be justified,” he said.

Yeah said several other factors were also crucial in extending the retirement age, particularly with regards to workers whose productivity was suspect.

“There must be proper evaluation to weed out the deadwood. Also, extending the retirement age means that those in line for promotion might have to wait longer,” he said.

Yeah said a decision by the government to raise the retirement age limit for the civil service would have no bearing on the private sector as each dealt with different skill sets. (The Edge Daily)

***** While it is good for those sectors which are considered crucial and where there is a chronic shortage of staff, it is the extension for the useless deadwood who pervade the entire public service that is worrying. The government should include a compulsory early retirement provision whereby those who are unproductive, spend more time in the canteen or generally of no bloody use are sent packing years before they reach the age of retirement. And the government should exercise this option ruthlessly.

Malaysia's Stalling Reform Threatens Investment

Malaysia's drive to woo investment is losing traction, as efforts to get rid of red tape and inept bureaucrats falter, threatening to put it further behind neighbouring Singapore.

A year after the authorities vowed to speed up the business approval process, businessmen are still battling unwieldy procedures and inert government staff.

"Civil servants have become more courteous, they smile more than usual but the bureaucracy, the red tape, is still there," said Mohd Ghouse Mohd Noor, who is setting up a hospital resort in Penang state in northern Malaysia where he hopes to entice visitors for medical treatment.

Ghouse said potential investors from the United Arab Emirates had been scared off by the red tape encountered at government departments.

"They are still passing us from one person to another. Nobody seems to know who is responsible and who should look into matters," he said of the bureaucracy. "Some of our investors say to us 'You go and solve your problem first'."

While Malaysia's record in attracting foreign investment would be the envy of many developing countries, it is still much harder to open a business here than in Singapore.

It takes nine steps and more than a week to register a business in Malaysia compared with five steps in five days for Singapore, according to the World Bank's Doing Business Index 2008.

Many blame Malaysia's civil service for being slow, unresponsive and opaque, and it continues to disappoint despite a state-led revamp aimed at winning more investment.

Perhaps now more than ever, Malaysia needs investors as it seeks private money to help fund several multibillion dollar farming, energy and tourism projects. Foreign direct investment into Malaysia leapt to a 10-year high in 2006 but many in the business community say that is despite red tape, rather than because of government efforts to reduce it.

"If you compare with other countries, it's nothing," Pankaj Kumar, chief investment officer at Malaysian insurance company Kurnia Insurans, said of foreign investment. "Asia as a whole has been a magnet for investments to come in, especially with the petrodollars."

In response to complaints, the government set up a cabinet committee in September 2006 to fast-track approval for projects involving high-technology, huge capital investment or job growth.

And in February, the authorities created a task force of officials and business leaders to simplify procedures. It expedited approval for expatriate work passes and speeded up the registration of businesses and renewal of business licences.

Since the drive was launched, businesses have reported improved service from customs and immigration staff. On the whole, however, complaints about sluggish bureaucrats and tardy service are still common.

Malaysia was ranked 24th in the World Bank's 2008 index on ease of doing business, down three places from 2007. It was behind Hong Kong and Thailand but ahead of South Korea, China, Vietnam and India. Singapore topped the list of 178 economies.

CHANGING MINDSETS

Overseas investors helped build Kuala Lumpur's iconic twin towers and the main highway, which spans the length of the peninsula, while global oil majors are developing multimillion dollar energy fields in Malaysia.

But foreign companies have complained that the regulatory authorities sit on applications to set up offices here, and local businessmen allege that government officials have asked for payment in return for state contracts.

The government awards state contracts through open tender but in some instances it has expedited the process by shortlisting only proven contractors and then awarding the job to one of them.

Malaysia wants to attract foreign dollars into its Islamic finance industry to build on its success as the world's largest Islamic bond market.

The authorities are also setting up a $105 billion, electronics, food, health and education hub in Johor state in the south.

It also wants to transform its Malay heartland in the northern states of Kedah, Penang and Terengganu into a farming, tourism, energy and manufacturing powerhouse.

But its plans are at risk of foundering as it struggles to galvanise its roughly one million public servants, despite wielding the stick.

"The government might want one thing but the culture of the civil service might not react to it," said political analyst Ooi Kee Beng of Singapore's Institute of South East Asian Studies. "That's the tough part to change: you can change the rules and all that but how do you, down the hierarchy, actually get people to work?" Ooi said.

In the Malaysian civil service, rewards are modest, punishments are few and jobs are usually secure for life, which offers little incentive for improvement.

Public servants are almost all ethnic Malays, due to an affirmative action policy which favours the race in jobs, education and business.

FALTERING ANTI-GRAFT DRIVE?

In the World Bank's Doing Business Index 2008, Malaysia got good marks for investor protection but scored less well for enforcing contracts, registering property and starting a business.

Pemudah, a panel to facilitate business comprising private and public sector officials, says efforts are being made to rectify Malaysia's weaknesses.

"It is a matter of procedures and how we can shorten them," said Yong Poh Kon, who co-chairs the panel.

Kuala Lumpur is also struggling with perceptions that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has gone soft on his pledge to stamp out graft in the civil service.

High profile prosecutions of civil servants for corruption have been rare. Former lands minister Kasitah Gaddam, the most senior official prosecuted for graft so far, was charged in 2004, and his case is still wending its way through the courts.

Analysts say the Anti-Corruption Agency's discretion to prosecute is fettered as it reports to the Prime Minister, unlike countries such as Hong Kong where the equivalent body reports to Parliament.

And some critics say there are other pressing issues raised by investors, including a requirement that listed firms be owned 30 percent by "Bumiputras" (sons of the soil) who are Malays or indigenous people under the affirmative action policy.

"If the government is serious about facilitating rather than imposing barriers for foreign investors we must actually address fundamental problems," said opposition politician Lim Guan Eng. (Reuters FEATURES: Reporting by Liau Y-Sing; Editing by Eddie Evans)

***** This is the price that we must pay for ignoring meritocracy and relentlessly promoting race-based quotas cleverly designed to divide the people and thereby ensuring the continued political wellbeing of the ruling Umno party. "Better out of tune with the world than out of power in Malaysia," must be their undeclared motto.
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Gerakan Wants Govt To Stamp Out Malpractices. (As If They Didn't Know All These Years!)

Gerakan has urged the government to take stern action against civil servants and political leaders who are found to have been involved in impropriety and malpractices.

Acting party president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the recent revelations by the Auditor-General's Report of irregularities reflected more openness about government, but were nonetheless very disturbing.

"Hence, in fully supporting the objectives of the National Integrity Plan launched by the prime minister three years ago, we urge the government to take more concrete and concerted follow-up actions to conduct full, independent investigations so as to take action against all those involved.

"Similarly, stern action must also be taken against political leaders, especially those with executive powers, who are found to have been involved in wrong doings," said Dr Koh in his inaugural address as acting Gerakan president at the opening of the party's 36th national delegates conference at Menara PGRM here today.

The gathering was opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his capacity as Barisan Nasional chairman. Present were the leaders of other BN component parties. Dr Koh is helming the party as acting president after Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik stepped down on April 8.

Dr Koh said Gerakan also felt that steps taken to review and revamp the delivery system and procedure must be expedited to ensure greater accountability and transparency. "This is necessary to counter negative public perception and restore public confidence in the executive branch of the government," he said.

The general public, he said, expected the same commitment on integrity within the judiciary because it was the custodian and dispenser of justice.

Dr Koh said Gerakan supported the setting up of the Independent Committee of Enquiry as an important first step to scrutinise and ascertain the authenticity of evidence in the recent video clip controversy. "Public perception about the judiciary has been adversely affected by this and other revelations and allegations. If need be, a Royal Commission should be seriously considered," he added.

Dr Koh also said that Gerakan supported the call by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for a code of ethics for elected representatives and political leaders. "In debate or response to issues, leaders should avoid emotional outbursts with race-biased or gender-biased utterances that may hurt feelings and provoke negative reactions," he said.

Instead, all Malaysian leaders should always play a positive and constructive role in breaking down walls of misunderstanding, prejudice and hatred, and building bridges of understanding, tolerance, goodwill, mutual respect and love within the country's plural society, said Dr Koh.

He also reiterated Gerakan's undivided support for Abdullah's leadership. (Bernama)

***** My, my aren't we being extra honest and upright all of a sudden! Has the general election bug bit Koh? Only recently he was singing the Barisan brotherhood praise and thanksgiving tune and now he wants the hundreds and hundreds of crooks safely ensconced in government and party to be brought to justice!

While the call itself is welcomed, one must wonder about the timing and the sincerity behind it. Has Koh so quickly forgotten the PORR controversy and debacle in his own backyard? And frankly did he expect anything positive to come out from his urging of the government?

Also laughable is Koh supporting the call by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for a code of ethics for elected representatives and political leaders. Supporting Najib, mind you! Sounds and smells like a sandiwara to me.
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e-Kesihatan Scam: Thieves, Crooks And Liars Call The Shots At JPJ

There is more to the eKesihatan saga than meets the eye. A company that bid for the project in February last year was rejected with the excuse that the project had already been awarded.

But Supremme Systems Sdn Bhd, whose director is a former Road Transport Department (RTD) director, only signed the contract this month, 20 months after the bid by the Primary Care Doctors' Organisation Malaysia.

The letter that PCDOM submitted to the then RTD director-general Datuk Emran Kadir on Feb 24 last year contained a detailed outline of the suggested PrimaCare system. The system is an award-winning electronic medical record and clinic management software that can be used under the eKesihatan programme. PCDOM conducted a presentation for the RTD a month later but did not hear from them again.

A follow-up letter to the Transport Ministry on March 10 this year saw a reply a month later where they were told that another company had been chosen.

PCDOM president Dr Molly Cheah Bee Li said her organisation had not only created a computer-based version of the RTD health form, but had also come up with a new form based on a similar model used in the United Kingdom. "All this was provided free of charge for RTD use," she said, adding that the system would have been made available to all clinics free of charge as there were no licensing fees. "The only cost would have been the cost of deployment, training, support and maintenance, which the doctors themselves would be reponsible for.

"Patients would have only had to pay RM5, for gateway charges and processing fees, on top of whatever medical fee the clinic charged. They just ignored us after the presentation. When we wrote a follow-up letter a year later, we received a reply telling us that the contract had been given to somebody else even before we had made our presentation," she said.

When contacted, RTD director-general Datuk Ahmad Mustapha Abdul Rashid said the process of selecting a company to run the eKesihatan project had been ongoing since the late 1990s. "The decision to award it to Supremme Systems was made earlier this year," he said.

He was at a loss to explain why PCDOM had been brushed off with such a lame excuse. "I don't know about it. I'm new," he said. He also refused to clarify the basis on which PCDOM's proposal was rejected.

"I don't want to answer that," he said.

It is believed that another proposal, submitted by Koperasi Doktor Malaysia (KDM), was also rejected by RTD.

When contacted, Supremme Systems executive director Datuk Nordin Yahaya said his company only signed the contract with the RTD on Sept 3 this year. Nordin said another Supremme Systems director, Datuk Kamaluddin Yusoff, was Federal Territory RTD director in the 1980s.

He said that if government clinics were to register under Supremme Systems, those who underwent the checks would only have to pay RM13 instead of the RM80 charged by private clinics. He also said that an earlier report claiming Supremme Systems would make a profit of some RM400 million was not true.

"This is a gross misrepresentation. We would only retain an average of RM10 out of the fees of RM80. This RM10 is our gross income and not gross profit. Gross profit is income less expenses. Assuming there are 500,000 drivers, our annual income will be more like RM5 million and not RM400 million as alleged by certain quarters." (NST)

***** The above report clearly shows that a group of interested parties within the JPJ had cornered this deal with the sole intention of making hundreds of millions in profit. For this windfall, not only were they eager and prepared to reject excellent schemes offered for free and designed to benefit all those involved, but ever willing to burden a million commercial vehicle drivers and rip them off at RM80 per year, every year!

And why did the bloody government keep its trap shut until the media played up the issue for several days? Why? Because some ruling party politicians are involved or were they merely allowing civil servants, both retired and currently serving, to make their fortune as well at the expense of the lower strata of society? After all if politicians can make billions why not allow pegawai2 kanan kerajaan to make a few hundred million on the side? Nothing like a win-win situation to have a satisfied civil service. (Important vote bank, you know.)

Will the super-inefficient ACA investigate this case based on news reports or do they as usual need to be prodded like cattle before they move their sorry behinds and do what they are paid for? What a bunch of specimens we have in government:- graft embracing politicians, corrupt civil servants and an emasculated watchdog with the grand title of Anti-Corruption Agency. May God bless our country real quick.
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Earlier related post: e-Kesihatan Deferred - Good Riddance To Stinking Rubbish.

Cabinet To Be Asked To Approve Disputed Project And Effectively Legitimize Corruption

Greed is once again surfacing in the Bukit Damansara area and actively aiding and abetting it are the relevant officials and politicians, the pimps in power, over decisions which would affect the environment as well as the health, safety and convenience of thousands of residents there.

As a result of the reasonable objections of the Bukit Damansara House Owners Association, these greed merchants have decided cleverly to pass the buck to the Cabinet for a decision. The rationale for this is two-fold. First is to avoid clashing with influential residents of the area who could kick up a storm and the whole issue may blow up on the faces of this corrupt lot. Therefore to avoid embarrassing disclosures and retreat as well as unpleasant litigation, the avaricious greedsters have sent the matter to the Cabinet for a 'verdict'.

The second is to give this 'development' project, underlined by bribery and corruption, a veneer of legitimacy which a Cabinet decision will confer, apart from keeping influential residents at bay. The officials and politicians involved in this charade would have effectively covered their graft-ridden backsides and the rotten deal will be deemed as 'essential' and for the 'benefit' of the rakyat. These Malay pegawai2 and pemimpin2 would have done their job and the Chinese towkays will proceed to credit the 'relevant' bank accounts with part of the spoils. A truly win-win situation and generally Semuanya OK! The full report in today's NST follows, for you to read and feel angered and disgusted.

The planned condominium and commercial complex in Bukit Damansara, which is opposed by residents, will be brought up at the next cabinet meeting.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique said a report by Kuala Lumpur City Hall on the matter following a dialogue between the parties concerned would be tabled as notes to the cabinet.

"On May 20, City Hall, the project developer and consultant held a dialogue with the residents. We view this as good co-operation as residents were involved," he said after opening the Peninsula Residence Hotel in Bukit Damansara.

Led by the Bukit Damansara House Owners Association president Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman, the residents had expressed their unhappiness with the development in front of the Millennium Tower in Damansara Town Centre.

Abdul Aziz had said that the projects, including high-rise apartments which had been approved by City Hall, would only worsen traffic congestion in the area. Zulhasnan said City Hall has asked for another impact study on the traffic flow.

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Police Officer Should Not Helm Anti-Corruption Body, Says Former Judge

Malaysia should emulate the example of several countries which do not appoint a police officer to helm their anti-corruption body, a former High Court judge said today.

Datuk Syed Ahmad Idid said the person appointed to head the anti-corruption body in countries such as Singapore, South Korea and Australia were not from among police officers.

"This is what has happened in Singapore and other places. They avoid (appointing police officers to head the anti-corruption body). I am not in a position to say what the government should do," he told reporters after delivering a public lecture on "Addressing Corruption in Malaysia" at Universiti Malaya, here. Syed Ahmad was commenting on the past practice of the government of appointing a police officer as the director-general of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA).

"They (Singapore, South Korea and Australia) learnt from the Hong Kong experience where anti-corruption enforcement was handled by an anti-corruption branch under the jurisdiction of the police," he said.

Syed Ahmad related an event in Hong Kong that led to the creation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption in 1975. Peter Fiztroy Godber, who was a senior officer at Wanchai police station, was caught in a bribery scandal after his retirement in 1973. Before his retirement due date in 1973, Godber had amassed about US$600,000 in his overseas bank accounts. When the police anti-corruption branch investigated his mysterious wealth and ordered him to explain his source of income, Godber arranged for his wife to leave the colony and then used his police airport pass to bypass Immigration and Passport checks and flew off to London.

Syed Ahmad also said that the anti-corruption agency in New South Wales, Australia, does not extend the term of contract of the agency chief after five years of service.

On the ACA in Malaysia, Syed Ahmad said the agency required more trained officers to investigate cases of corruption, adding that the officers should be equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment. He advised ACA officers to always safeguard the identity of informants.

Recalling an incident when he was a Customs officer in Kedah at one time, he said an informant of a smuggling activity was killed after his identity was revealed by the Customs Department by way of an official letter.

In his lecture, Syed Ahmad explained the definition of corruption, the instances of corruption, the causes of corruption and how to check corruption. The lecture, which was open to the public, was organised by the Universiti Malaya International Institute of Public Policy and Management. (Bernama)

***** I fully agree with the learned ex-judge. There is no point in having an agency for the prevention of corruption if the top brass of the agency itself is of doubtful character. Moreover in countries like Singapore, there definitely is political will to eliminate corruption, but here the suspicion is that the aim of government is to have a namesake ACA for the record; convenient window-dressing used for nabbing the small fry while those who are the most corrupt and are closely linked to the ruling party leadership get away scot-free. Things won't change overnight, that's for sure. As long as corruption rules at the top level of the BN pemimpin2, all that we shall continue witnessing is more and more sandiwara.
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Stop Bribery Culture Before It Destroys Us

Headlines in the International Herald Tribune:- Report: Malaysia investigates if forestry officers took bribes to allow illegal logging.

The details:- Malaysia's Forestry Department was investigating whether its officers helped timber companies illegally cut down trees in eastern Pahang state, a newspaper reported Monday.

The department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is looking into 16 cases to determine whether officers took bribes to alter documents and logging maps so more forest could be cut down, the New Straits Times said.

Minister Azmi Khalid was quoted by the daily as admitting there were cases of forestry department officers receiving bribes in Malaysia, but the number was "very low." Neither the minister nor deputy minister could immediately be reached Monday. Other ministry officials contacted by The Associated Press declined to confirm the report.

Despite a 2005 government directive to states to limit the number of new logging concessions, Malaysia's primary forests are still being logged excessively, and officers assigned to protect the forests have often been accused of turning a blind eye to timber companies' illegal activities.

Deputy Minister S. Sothinathan was quoted by the Times as saying the investigation had started, and the ministry would submit a paper to the Cabinet soon. He did not say, however, whether the department was also investigating cases outside Pahang, the report said.

Last December, Forestry Department Director General Azhar Muda reportedly said that companies involved in illegal logging would be taken to court, and officers would be fired. "It is unforgivable for our officers to collaborate with illegal loggers. They will not be given a second chance," he said in the bulletin Timber Malaysia, according to the New Straits Times report.

Azhar and other forestry officials could not immediately be reached Monday. In Pahang, all forestry officials were out of the office.

***** This is merely the tip of the proverbial iceberg. The bribe culture among staff of government departments is all-pervasive and extremely difficult to eradicate without political will. Now that public servants have been given generous pay hikes they should rein in the urge to take the easy path to wealth and succumb to the temptations of graft. Either that or spend time in prison, with no other option. The authorities have to make an example of some public servants including senior officers if the message is to get across strong and unmistakably clear. Of course the big question mark is whether the authorities have the political will to enforce even these basic rules. This is the price which we have to pay for maintaining a bloated civil service which apart from doing its legal duties also doubles up as a vote bank for the ruling party.
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Corruption Tainted Outgoing ACA DG Gets "Thanks And Gratitude" From The Government!

The government bid Zulkipli Mat Noor, head of the Anti-Corruption Agency farewell with a commendation of his leadership and "proactive" work! The PM's Office said it would not be renewing his contract but "the government takes this opportunity to express the highest gratitude and thanks to Zulkipli for his 'services'," without making any reference to accusations which have hounded him the past few weeks. Zulkipli is being investigated by the police over allegations he illegally amassed substantial property and assets and misused government vehicles. Of course despite police claims of investigations being at the 'final' stages and questioned 21 witnesses, no one knows what will happen regarding the corruption, rape and abuse of power allegations.

Zulkipli, 57, joined the Royal Malaysian Police in 1949 as an officer in the Special Branch and later became its head. He was appointed chief of the Anti-Corruption Agency on April 1, 2001, on a two-year contract. It was extended three times until he reached retirement age in July 2005.

Subsequently, the contract was extended for one year until July 20, 2006, and once again for about nine months until March 31, 2007, the statement said. It did not explain why the last contract was for less than a year.

Among the praise showered on the shamed DG is this statement; "under the leadership of (Zulkipli), various proactive and renewal efforts were undertaken including upgrading the network of collaboration at the international level."

So how does this great admiration and ribuan terima kasih for him square with the complaints of serious corruption and abuse of power that he is facing? Are the powers that be going to look the other way now that he has been eased out of the DG's chair? Perhaps the sentiment of not wanting to deprive a pegawai kerajaan of his pencen is holding sway. Whatever may be the argument let us not forget that it is a great insult to the nation that the chief of the anti-corruption department himself has been alleged to be rotten to the core! Very few countries have that sort of ridiculous record.

In a report in Malaysiakini, Lim Kit Siang has stated that Malaysia’s position on the Transparency International corruption perception index took a nosedive over the course of the outgoing ACA chief’s tenure. How's that for outstanding achievement?
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No Quit Order For Those Under Graft Probe, Says PM. Of Course We Knew That.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says, civil servants who are being investigated for corruption, are not required to relinquish their posts.

"Just as in the past, we do not make them give up their positions," he Abdullah told reporters after attending the Bank Negara Board of Directors meeting here Tuesday.

Abdullah who is also Finance Minister said this when asked on whether it was incumbent of a civil service employee, who was being investigated for corruption, to quit from the government.

The Prime Minister said as long as there was no concrete evidence to support the allegation, the civil servant being investigated, need not give up his position.

Referring to allegations of corruption against Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum, Abdullah said action would only be taken if he was proven guilty. (Bernama)

***** What kind of concrete evidence does Pak Lah require before asking a corrupt civil servant to go on leave? The proof apparently provided in the case of the ACA DG is overwhelming, yet there has been no semblance of any action at all! Therefore it is only reasonable for an average person to surmise that the government is not serious in curbing corruption.
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Pak Lah Wants Thorough Probe Into ACA Chief's Case.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants the probe into allegations of corruption and abuse of power against Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) Director General Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor to be conducted thoroughly.

"I have telephoned the IGP (Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan) on the case and he has informed me what is being done," he told the Malaysian media here Thursday at the end of his three-day visit to Yemen. Abdullah, who had been updated on the case by the IGP, said he wanted the case to be conducted properly to determine the real situation.

The allegations against Zulkipli surfaced after a movement who call themselves Gerak or Gerakan Demokrasi dan Anti Korupsi (Democracy and Anti Corruption Movement), posted in a local blog the allegations made by a former ACA officer.

The allegations were made by former ACA Sabah director Mohamad Ramli Manan, in a letter to former IGP Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar in July last year. Ramli, who retired in December last year, had claimed that Zulkipi owned several business interests and properties including six houses in Pagoh, Johor, and that he misused government vehicles to check on the properties and businesses.

The Prime Minister also said Zulkifli had previously been investigated twice. He said when Zulkifli was appointed as ACA Director General in 2001, there was a probe against him but he was cleared of the allegation.

Zulkifli had been a Special Branch officer for over two decades and rose to become the state police chief in Johor and Sarawak. He was the first police officer to be appointed to the ACA's top post in 2001. Before his term to the post was extended in 2005, another probe was conducted, and again it was found that there was no case against him, Abdullah added.

Abdullah was commenting on Musa's statement yesterday that the investigation paper involving Zulkipli, which backdated 10 years ago, had been re-submitted to the Attorney General's Office. Musa said the paper was related to Zulkipli, who had been investigated for an alleged sexual offence against a woman in July 1997 at the Cheras police station. The woman alleged that Zulkipli had hit her for refusing to have sex with him. Zulkipli has denied the allegations.

On Wednesday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, said Zulkipli and those who testified against him would be asked to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity on March 12. Dompok who heads the 12-member committee, said the body would determine whether the allegations involved elements of integrity and if so, would submit the necessary recommendation to Parliament. (Bernama)

***** Amazing isn't it? So many allegations, so many instances of abuse of power and credible proof of amassing wealth. Yet surprise, surprise despite probe after probe after probe, our man Zulkipli has been found squeaky clean! What can one infer from this? That apart from the unlikely case of him being totally innocent, he has successfully used his connections to get away with it and there are people out there who are guilty of shielding a criminal. How else can you explain why the IGP is resubmitting papers to the A-G? Only when one is not satisfied with the A-G's decision and is convinced that there is a case to answer or there is suspicion that the A-G is dragging his feet does the question of resubmitting papers comes in.

The former A-G who did precious little on this and other important issues then, is no more around to answer for his deeds and misdeeds. It is incumbent upon the current A-G to set things right and if crimes have been committed he has to ensure that the guilty pay dearly.

A funny thing though. In many countries politicians use civil servants to hide their wrongdoings. Here in good old Malaysia, our politicians spend a lot of time trying to explain away, cover for, hide, shield and generally bend the law to save the guilty-as-hell civil servant. Who said that we are conformists?
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UPDATE: IGP Meets A-G Over Zulkipli's Case