| Malaysia’s Losing Battle Against Corruption |
| Written by Imran Imtiaz Shah Yacob | |
| Friday, 16 March 2007 | |
|
A sudden spate of sleaze allegations unsettles politics at the top of Malaysia’s biggest political party
Many of the ingredients emanate from an angry former Anti-Corruption Agency investigator who charges he was sidelined because he refused to shut up about corruption among top officials of the country’s biggest political party.
Then there is the unrelated case of the deputy internal security minister, Mohd Johari Baharum. He is in the spotlight over a claim accusing him of accepting RM5 million (US$1.4 million) to assist in freeing several suspects detained under Malaysia’s Emergency Ordinance, which covers suspects accused of serious crimes. Local news reports say the released suspects are believed to have been involved in gangsterism, prostitution, illegal gambling, and illicit money lending. Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is skeptical. “The government likes to talk about the rule of law and the perils of corruption but there is a significant gap between its words and its actions,” he said in an email interview with Asia Sentinel. Mohd Johari is a case in point. He has been seen as a strong Abdullah supporter since he took an active stand that helped bar former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad from the UMNO party general assembly last September. The former premier, who had been launching a fusillade of complaints at his successor, was expected to go after Abdullah publicly at the general assembly. Denying him that national platform largely took the wind out of Mahathir’s sails. The charges against Mohd Johari, if they are true, illustrate Abdullah’s dilemma: the need to remain in power trumps cleaning out the stables. It is unclear how much the corruption allegations have hurt Badawi’s political chances. The prime minister is expected to take the coalition to the polls in the coming months and defeating a leader backed by UMNO is unheard of, although Anwar Ibrahim, who was jailed by Mahathir on sodomy and corruption charges after a political dispute, is stumping the country, warning about corruption. It is more likely that UMNO would trade Abdullah in for a new candidate if he were perceived to be weak, but so far there are no signs of that happening. And, for all the allegations flying around, the country’s corruption perception ranking is still better than its neighbors. In an annual survey released this week by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC), the country outpointed Thailand and Indonesia, ranking 7th among 13 Asian countries surveyed. The Philippines was last. Nonetheless, the first Malaysia Transparency Perception Survey, published in 2006, described integrity and transparency in government agencies as problems that were “acute and serious.” The survey, commissioned by Transparency International Malaysia, was conducted by the independent Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research. The survey also found that the police force, road transport departments and customs and excise department were among the least transparent agencies. The concluded that the incidence of bribery in Malaysia increases proportionately to income level, with a whopping 52 percent of those earning RM5,000 and above monthly acknowledging having paid a bribe or having a family member who had done so. The perception of levels of corruption is also having an adverse effect on FDI as according to Political and Economic Risk Consultancy. Malaysia’s economy is perceived by foreign businessmen to be more corrupt this year than it was last year. The charges against Mohd Johari come just weeks after another round of allegations of graft and sexual assault ‑ against the very person that would have been tasked to investigate Johari. Anti-corruption chief, Zulkipli Mat Noor is under intense public fire over allegations that he has vast business and real estate interests. Before retiring in December, anticorruption agency officer, Mohamad Ramli Manan, told police in a report that described Zulkipli was "a very corrupt senior police officer who had amassed substantial property and assets through corrupt practices". Zulkipli has also been accused of operating two petrol stations said to be registered under the names of his son and sister. Sexual assault charges stem from an unnamed woman who filed police reports in Kuala Lumpur and the state of Negeri Sembilan. A parliamentary integrity committee was supposed to hear from both Zulkipli and Ramli last Monday on whether Zulkipli should continue to head the corruption agency, but the meeting was cancelled. Under public pressure, it was rescheduled for March 22. It has not yet been decided if the hearing is sub judice, or under court consideration and therefore subject to reporting restrictions, because Ramli has filed a libel suit against Zulkipli and five others over letters allegedly defaming him. There are also questions over the spectacular slaying of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaaribuu, who was allegedly murdered by two police officers in Malaysia’s elite Special Operations Force as she sought to force top political advisor Abdul Razak Baginda to acknowledge fathering her baby and to pay her additional funds. Abdul Razak has close ties to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who supervises the Special Operations Force. Razak Baginda is due to go on trial for complicity in the murder in June. “There are indications of serious misconduct by officials within or closely connected to the ruling party,” Anwar said. “We are talking about hundreds of millions of ringgit that have been stolen from the public coffers. Yet in each case there has been a rather appalling lack of follow-through on the part of the authorities in investigating these cases”. The controversies affecting Johari and Zulpikli have been met with calls for their suspension pending further investigation. However, Abdullah Badawi has downplayed the charges, telling the press that generally more than 85 percent of corruption allegations are untrue and that care must be taken when launching investigations. The prime minister also told reporters Zukipli had been investigated twice before and found to be clean.
The corruption saga has also ensnared another minister from the Mahathir administration. Ramli charged that he was sidelined while in service and put in ‘cold storage’ after he persisted in investigating then-land and cooperative development minister Kasitah Gaddam for corruption involving a multi-million dollar share deal in the politician’s home state of Sabah seven years ago.
"For six years, I punched in my (attendance) card and got my salary. They gave me RM8,000 for doing nothing,” he said.
Comments
(12)
 written by Hero , April 30, 2010
..., Lowly rated comment [Show]
 written by herman , August 19, 2008
u dumb f**knut. I am a malay singaporean. i know what is right and what is wrong. if you wanna stereotype people just because the ancient village ure coming from is educated in that manner, wll simple. The reason why my neihbouring country, Malaysia, is having these problems is because of people like you. You stereotype and therefore you make people think like you, and bring hate into those of other races. People like you should be hanged and yes, the country will have one less racist bugger to worry about.
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 written by ain , November 24, 2007
corruption? why is this happening? simple... because of the ruling goverment. we have to change them, we should not be blinded by their offer and promises and we should not b afraid of changes..we malaysian should be one not chinese, indian, malays. we should stand for our right as one and as malaysian because when we separate we are week but if we are together we are strong. in order to stop the corruption we have to put aside our differences and stand as malaysian. we have to speak our rights as malaysian and what we need a new leader who fight for the people and the country and new lines of the country goverment cos what we have now are too old and too corrupted they are not fully funtional as the representator for our country. and no in laws or any children of them should be their sucessor.
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 written by Tuanku Nizar , November 22, 2007
The BN is compltedly corrupted with hundreds of stupid people!As we all know,the Barisan National has been the ruling party ever since it was establish by the 2nd Prime Minister.Ask yourself,"Why?".The answer is not because everyone loves and trust them,but its because they CHEATED in the ellections!!They take dead people's signature and put that in the vote box to get extra votes.
Votes: +1
This is wrong and very unfair!I am not saying all malays are like this,but UMNO is giving a bad name for the malays.Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi promised to destroy corruption,BUT LOOK!!It's getting worst!I bet ACA is also full with corruption.If this goes on,no doubt that the western powers will take action... report abuse
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 written by E. Lubis , November 02, 2007
Corruption in Malaysia is a sin against God. Every Muslim-Malay should know this - it is stated in the Al'Quran. Corruption is a great sin. For any Muslim to participate in it or to let it just happen without trying to stop it or fight against it is a sin against God(Allah swt.). I plead to every Muslim in Malaysia to stand up and fight against the greatest sin destroying Malaysia today. If this great sin is not destroyed as soon as possible the Muslims will very well might end up in the hell fire in the hereafter. So please lets all fight against corruption and create a more just, harmonious, and healthier Malaysian society....
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 written by James Tan , June 01, 2007
Our present Prime Minister, Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, was voted in on a popular endorsement of goodwill and largely on his promise to battle corruption, endemic under the Mahathir regime.
Votes: +2
We, the citizenry, are betrayed. Corruption is not constrained..hardly. UMNO, Malaysia's race based anchor party is beyond reform and redemption.. and it is the party UMNO that controls the Prime Minister. It is UMNO that is today the central curse and plague of our land. report abuse
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 written by pierre , April 20, 2007
It has become part of malay culture to condone corruption. What more needs to be said? When told that mahathir makan-ed a lot, one of my malay associates told me as a- matter-of-factly: "So what? if i was the prime minster, i would makan too". That is their attitude, basically. So why bother have the ACA? Just dismantle it and everyone will be happier. It's good for nothing anyway.
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 written by johnson huang , April 17, 2007
Aishah, I sort of understand what you are going through. But unless those who feel they have been unfairly treated -- and then are unfairly perceived as receiving privileged treatment -- rise up and take some form of collective action, then nothing is going to change. We all know of, or have experienced, inequality and discrimination, some groups more than others. Question is, what is each of us going to do about it?
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 written by aishah samad , April 15, 2007
I am Malay that should enjoy lots of privileges as currently mentioned. This rhetoric has to stop. Here's the question that I always asked myself, why didn't I see any privileges as Malay? Or is this privileges applied to a 'selective' group of Malays? I never have any scholarship; I go to school and university without any scholarship. When I interviewed for government scholarship at local university, the government officer that interviewed me clearly states that I am not qualified, he'd gone too far by asking how many wives my dad has?? My dad worked hard and brings home about RM4000 a month salary 25 years ago. He had to feed 7 of us and he is not a government crony. When I graduated in 1990, I had not able to get any job with the government; I had to compete for a job with non-Malays in local companies. When I lodged a police report a couple of years ago against a government backed bank that was unfairly dismissed my case against stolen cheque and car, police failed to carried their fiduciary duties to complete the investigations. I flew from the US to met with the police detective that was probably was bribed. I would not probably receive this treatment if I knew someone very important politically. So, here's a question for you to think about, is this inequality treatment applied to non-Malays only? I am a Malay that is probably represents 60% of Malays that are still poor and not having privileges because I don't know anyone important? You decided.
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 written by yapper , March 21, 2007
One of the major causes of corruption in Malaysia is the inequality of races. In Malaysia, children grow up on the fundamental premise of inequality. Malay children grow up knowing that they have special rights and have a special status. As such, a Malay grows up to think that he can do anything. In an accident between a Malay and a Chinese, the Malay person will ride rough shot over his counterpart and even threaten violence.
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Non-Malays grow up being taught they are not equal. Smart ones use the inequality by working with their Malay friends, ex-classmates to get the advantages. In the process, corruption is inevitable. report abuse
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An unappetizing stew of allegations against high-ranking politicians and top bureaucrats is eating away at Malaysian Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi’s popularity.
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