The advisory board of the national anti-graft authority has been urged to resign, if its recommendations to the government on how to tackle corruption are ignored.At a Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) organised forum on reforming political financing, Bersih 2.0 chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan ticked off the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for its repeated stance that it can only work within its constrains.
Her criticisms were directed at former Universiti Science Malaysia vice-chancellor Ishak Tambi Kechik, who now sits on MACC's advisory panel and lauded the commission's progress since its inception in 2008.“I don't buy the excuse of insufficient resources. If funds are lacking, then march into the prime minister's office and demand for more. If you don't get it, then resign en-bloc! I'm sick and tired of excuses about constraints,” she said.
“Countless memoranda have been sent. Been there, done it. I don't know where the memoranda are going. But I have a Plan B, if that doesn't work,” said Ambiga, a lawyer and former president of the Bar Council.Ishak, who was a guest on the forum's panel, said the commission “needed more bite, teeth and more money to do what it expected to do” given that the anti-grant body was still in its infancy.
He said MACC was making headway in fighting corruption and its public perception had improved. Modelled after Hong Kong's Independent Commission on Anti-Corruption (ICAC), the MACC has been come under constant criticism for ambivalence in performing its tasks and its credibility damaged by bad public perception.
Her criticisms were directed at former Universiti Science Malaysia vice-chancellor Ishak Tambi Kechik, who now sits on MACC's advisory panel and lauded the commission's progress since its inception in 2008.“I don't buy the excuse of insufficient resources. If funds are lacking, then march into the prime minister's office and demand for more. If you don't get it, then resign en-bloc! I'm sick and tired of excuses about constraints,” she said.
“Countless memoranda have been sent. Been there, done it. I don't know where the memoranda are going. But I have a Plan B, if that doesn't work,” said Ambiga, a lawyer and former president of the Bar Council.Ishak, who was a guest on the forum's panel, said the commission “needed more bite, teeth and more money to do what it expected to do” given that the anti-grant body was still in its infancy.
He said MACC was making headway in fighting corruption and its public perception had improved. Modelled after Hong Kong's Independent Commission on Anti-Corruption (ICAC), the MACC has been come under constant criticism for ambivalence in performing its tasks and its credibility damaged by bad public perception.
'Think out of the box'
In a TI report last year, Malaysia's corruption perception index (CPI) dipped further. recording the country's worse-ever ranking in 2009, from 4.5 to 4.4 out of 10 last year, with 10 being the least corrupt.The CPI is measured annually on how corrupt a country's public sector is, based on data sourced from 13 different polls and surveys from 10 independent institutions over a period of two years.
Malaysia's previous worst scores at below 5 were 4.8 in 2000 and 4.9 in 2002.“The MACC is saddled with limitations… it's being treated like a government department in that it severely lacks funds and manpower.“We just have to be patient, after all the MACC was only formed two years ago. Things will improve with stronger public involvement in corruption issues and the current bad perception will force the MACC to do better,” Ishak said.
'Have a Plan B'
However, Ambiga countered Ishak's response and revealed a suggestion she had put forward to MACC commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed at another public forum last year, to order all holding public office to declare their assets to the commission, if not publicly.
“The commissioner agreed with me but the idea was slammed by politicians and there wasn't a squeak from the MACC after that.“Are you telling me that you don't have enough (influence) to push the idea to the prime minister?” she asked.Instead of churning out excuses, Ambiga said the public authority should “think out of the box” and resolve to find other measures to “make it work”.
“The real problem here is lack of political will. The MACC is nowhere near to achieving what the ICAC has. The ICAC cleaned up Hong Kong within three years,” she said. The MACC's bad public perception was justified, she added, as it showed that the commission was not serious about combatting corruption.
“Have a Plan B and go public if nothing is done. Give them a timeframe and if they don't listen, please do something. If you are going to have big rally in the Kelana Jaya stadium, tell us, we will be there to back you,” she added.
Prosecution powers favoured
However, Ishak's views to expand MACC's authority and to give it prosecution powers, was well received by the audience.He said the advisory panel had been pushing for it as cases piled up on the attorney-general's desk and that there should also be a separate judicial institution to tackle corruption related matters.
“There should also be separate courts to hear corruption cases and if the MACC doesn't have qualified people as prosecutors, then it should bring in people from outside. Hire defence lawyers and see how they perform as prosecutors,” Ishak added.The forum, which was part of TI-M's nationwide campaign to garner support for its recommended reforms in political financing, also included TI-M president Paul Low, Universiti Malaya's political economy professor Edmund Terence Gomez and Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Zaid Kamaruddin.
Edmund proposed an urgent need for public funding for political parties so that they would not be obliged to racketeers or criminals, among others suggestions.The fervently debated idea is said to allow minor parties a chance for survival in a political landscape dominated by bigger parties, which would also ensure transparency as the funds could be accounted for.
But opponents, at the forum, were not too keen on their tax money going to parties they were unaccustomed to and expressed apprehension over a sudden burgeoning of political parties.
“There should also be separate courts to hear corruption cases and if the MACC doesn't have qualified people as prosecutors, then it should bring in people from outside. Hire defence lawyers and see how they perform as prosecutors,” Ishak added.The forum, which was part of TI-M's nationwide campaign to garner support for its recommended reforms in political financing, also included TI-M president Paul Low, Universiti Malaya's political economy professor Edmund Terence Gomez and Bersih 2.0 steering committee member Zaid Kamaruddin.
Edmund proposed an urgent need for public funding for political parties so that they would not be obliged to racketeers or criminals, among others suggestions.The fervently debated idea is said to allow minor parties a chance for survival in a political landscape dominated by bigger parties, which would also ensure transparency as the funds could be accounted for.
But opponents, at the forum, were not too keen on their tax money going to parties they were unaccustomed to and expressed apprehension over a sudden burgeoning of political parties.
Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/156473
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