Motion on Anti-Corruption

Speech by Wong Ho Leng, ADUN Bukit Assek on 20th November, 2007: Motion on Anti-Corruption

On 29.10.2007 I gave notice under Standing Order 23 that I shall move the following motion:

That the Sarawak Government gives full support to Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s efforts to eradicate corruption in Malaysia.

Today, without notice, the BN Government amended the Motion and adopted it as its own. The amended Motion standing in the name of Adenan Satem, and which is the subject of debate, reads:

That this House gives full support to Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s National Integrity Plan to promote good governance and thereby eliminating corrupt practices in all sectors of society within Malaysia.

This is an important Motion. Malaysians are waiting for the outcome of this Motion.

We cannot deny that corruption is rampant in Malaysia. Our top leaders had spoken of its carnage and rampancy.

The BN had said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the most brilliant leader of the country. Let’s see what he has to say on corruption and its ills.

On 26th May 2005, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad warned that corruption was becoming a culture in Malaysia. He said corruption was almost at the “above the table” level, with a significant number being involved. “We are slowly breaking through the ceiling. We are slowly emerging ‘above the table’,” he said.

Corruption is seldom seen but real.

Tun said corruption is a pervasive cancer that will kill a nation. It eats away into the very fabric of our society.

The victims are the 99.999% of the people in this country who have to pay more for all and everything, from ordinary consumer items to air tickets to using toilets, to property ownership and education and etc.

The only people who do not complain are those who were fed to the full and who were not caught. It is human greed, those who have received only wanted more, like a python expecting to swallow an elephant.

Corruption is based on perception. Statistics are talking loud and clear. In 1995, our country was placed 23rd on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). When Pak Lah became Prime Minister, in 2003, we were placed at No.37. Now in 2007 we stand at No.43.

We ought to be ashamed of this index. Our country is faring worse off now despite a declared crusade by Pak Lah against corruption. Malaysians will remember that Pak Lah elevated the fight against graft into the centrepiece of his administration when he became Prime Minister on 31st October, 2003.

Is all well in Malaysia? When appointment of judges can be brokered, you sense corruption. When judgments can be arranged, you sense corruption. When politicians, local councillors and political secretaries live in multi million Ringgit bungalows way beyond their means, you are entitled to ask where they get the money from. When a top cop has undeclared assets worth RM27 million, you are entitled to ask whether there was corruption. When we have millionaire police officers, do you see anything wrong?

Not all these people are corrupt, but a small group of greedy men can tarnish the image of all.

When certain well connected contractors only received awards not through open tenders but according to the whim and fancy of the powers that be, you are entitled to ask whether there were corruption. Why these people get the major contracts and other registered contractors merely get the crumbs.

When Ministers use Government cars for private functions, you see abuse of power, lack of integrity and corruption.

When professionals who walk closely with the powers that be are given lucrative contracts, you must ask whether there was corruption.

For example, the Bintulu Port Authority paid RM11.65 million to a single legal firm for legal consultation services for year 2000 without through tender for services, you know that money had been squandered and there was everything wrong – see Bintulu Port Authority 2000 Annual Report. When legal fees of RM5,887,208 could be paid for a case which did not go to the court you know there is everything wrong. Had there been any investigation, may I ask? Does that not reflect how serious we are in handling mismanagement of public funds, integrity and corruption?

When concessions can be given out at the whim and fancy of a Minister, the people are entitled to ask what the terms and conditions for these concessions are, and whether there is any corruption.

Contractors and laymen alike are saying that gratification would help to get faster approval for plans, permits, licences, processing of complaints or other matters. But the consumers suffer. They are the ones who have to pay more for everything.

Sim Kwang Yang, the former DAP MP for Bandar Kuching, one who had been offered (which he declined) an Assistant Ministerial post to jump to SUPP, said in his Malaysiakini column, “The root of corruption is human greed operating freely under a cloud of bad governance and lack of transparency, starting from the very top level. Punishing mid-level civil servants while powerful politicians continue to get fabulously rich is tantamount to curing the symptoms, and not striking at the root cause of the problem. It can be seen as merely finding scapegoats for this national malaise.”

He also said, “Most people have long realized that for every application to the government to do any business of any sort, there is always a greedy palm begging to be greased. It is that bad.”

He also said: “Ask any citizen with a healthy dose of cynicism and access to privileged information how many federal ministers, state mentri besars, state chief ministers, state executive councillors, state ministers in Sarawak and Sabah, or any elected representative for that matter, can be described as squeaky clean like a whistle, and you will hear the sneering grunt that deafens the ear.”

From the DAP we are clean. Would the BN say they are squeaky clean?

With the power structure and abundant resources that nature has blessed Sarawak, the perception of the people is that Sarawak is far from clean from the corruption gangrene.

In this era, the acquisition of knowledge is important. Hence, we are talking about k-economy, which means knowledge-economy. But many intellectuals have equated “k-economy” to “kantow-economy”. People want some explanation to how some people in power are able to get so rich and so quick.

The issue of kantow very frequently creeps out in coffee shops. When you sit in coffee shops, you will hear specific names of some of our Ministers and their families being mentioned, of how they have become fabulously rich, having massive palatial mansions, involved in corruption etc.

In the name of better accountability and transparency, I believe these questions are morally, politically, and legally valid in Malaysia.

We can start by taking the first step, and that is to support this Motion, and then walk the talk. In order to walk the talk, we must not live in a cocoon but admit that corruption exists. The prevalent denial syndrome about the complex problem of corruption in our state is most disturbing.

To support Pak Lah, Sarawak must have the moral fibre to declare that war against corruption is to be a top priority for the administration.

What can the state do? System for people … seminars, forums

- A transparent and accountable Government must be implemented.

- The State Government must cut down bureaucratic red tapes in Government departments and agencies because red tapes are primary grounds for breeding graft in Government departments and agencies.

- This Dewan can make laws so that all Ministers and Assistant Ministers, elected representatives, political secretaries, local councillors, heads of departments etc, must declare their assets and their next of kin’s to the Dewan and the declarations must be made public.

- The Dewan Undangan Negeri must appoint a Select Committee to monitor our anti-corruption drive.

- The Government must improve on the procedures for awarding contracts. Direct negotiation procedures for government tenders should be abolished. All contracts must be by public tender and based on merits.

- The Government must restore clean governance, truly expressing the essential value of democracy and accountability.

Pak Lah’s war against corruption was the centerpiece of his Government. In 2004, the war against corruption helped him get 91% of Parliamentary seats. It jolted all Malaysians to rise to stop the rot. But the rot has not stopped. The momentum against corruption has almost stopped. The zeal and spirit have almost stopped. All, because Pak Lah is alone. The popular belief is that he has abandoned the war against corruption.

The popular belief is that not a single BN component party thus far is seriously supporting his crusade against corruption.

The PM launched the National Integrity Plan (NIP) 4 years ago. When a forum on Integrity was held in Sibu recently, no one from the Leadership of the BN in Sibu attended. That shows how serious the SUPP politicians looked at the issue of integrity. Where there is a lack of integrity, corruption flourishes. Corruption increases as integrity decreases. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Sarawak should openly declare support to Pak Lah’s zero tolerance to corruption declaration. But there are skeptics. A surfer in Sarawak talk wrote: “If you think that Sarawak Government is making any attempt to curb corruption, you may as well ask a cow to fly over the moon. There had been no attempt to combat corruption ever since the BN is in power. There will be none. Corruption will only get worse.”

That shows the writer has no confidence at all in our state Government to support Pak Lah in the war against corruption.

Give clean governance a chance – I challenge you, the BN Government. If the leaders are corrupt, nobody has the moral right to ask the followers to be clean. So, stay clean.

We should not be indifferent to the sin of corruption. The war against corruption should transcend Party politics. Hence, we saw the sincerity in Pak Lah’s crusade when he announced it in 2003. DAP has been whole heartedly behind Pak Lah in his crusade against corruption.

When Pak Lah almost wails in despair for being lonely in the war against corruption, shall we not desert him. If he has become disinterested, shall we encourage him to move on at full throttle?

Is Sarawak with our Prime Minister? Not by words only in this august house. Let that be recorded in the Hansard for future generations to read.

DAP supports the Amended Motion.