An Anti-corruption Advocate, the Voice of Conscience
28 Feb 2022
15 Feb 2022
‘Fight corruption not whistleblowers'
Going after those who try to expose wrongdoings will dampen public confidence in MACC, says social activist
Phang said going after whistleblowers may discourage the public from exposing wrongdoings.
“This will only lead down one path: more corruption. Suing someone who has exposed some wrongdoing is not the right way to go about it.
“MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki should not have filed a defamation suit against anti-graft activist Lalitha Kunaratnam.
“Instead he should have come out immediately to explain what had occurred,” Phang told theSun.
He wondered how the public could place their faith in the anti-graft body when its head failed to satisfactorily explain the share transaction (issue) but filed a legal suit instead.
Phang said we need to have our faith in MACC restored and the only way to do so is for Azam to go on garden leave while an independent body conducts an investigation into the issue.
He said we also need to go further by placing MACC under the purview of Parliament to allow proper scrutiny of its actions.
Phang, who was a former adviser to the MACC corruption prevention panel, said the fight against corruption is an on-going effort and we cannot have people in charge of MACC suing whistleblowers.
He pointed out that the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 gives protection to those who expose wrongdoings. “What is the use of the Act if the MACC head can file a defamation suit against a whistleblower?” he asked.
He also questioned the need for senior MACC officers – deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, deputy chief commissioner (Prevention) Datuk Norazlan Mohd Razali and deputy chief commissioner (management and professionalism) Datuk Junipah Wandi – to express their support for Azam.
He said instead of going out to fight graft, these officers seem to have a lot of time on hand to do other things.
“We desperately need a change of mindset in the government; action must be taken against officers such as (asking them to) go on garden leave until it can be proven they are innocent.
“If the government continues to turn a blind eye, the public will lose confidence not only in the government but also MACC,” he said.
Azam, who is mired in a proxy stock trading issue, had explained that his share trading account had been used by his younger brother Nasir Baki to purchase shares in 2015.
The explanation was made after it was reported that Azam had significant shareholdings in several companies.
He denied any wrongdoing and said the stocks purchased had subsequently been transferred to Nasir’s account.
Source: https://ipaper.thesundaily.my/epaper/viewer.aspx?publication=The%20Sun%20Daily#page/2
11 Feb 2022
10 Feb 2022
IS AZAM PROVIDING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP FOR MACC?
10th February 2022.
PRESS STATEMENT BY:-
TAN SRI DATUK ROBERT PHANG
MIOW SIN.
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.
CHAIRMAN – SOCIAL CARE
FOUNDATION (Co. Reg. 199701007685 (423181-X).
IS AZAM PROVIDING THE RIGHT LEADERSHIP FOR MACC?
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is our main instrument in the fight against corruption and bad governance. For MACC to succeed in its mission it must have the support of the people. It cannot achieve its full potential if it loses public confidence in the man who leads that institution. Leadership with integrity is key to institutional credibility. Quite clearly The Chief Commissioner has lost his credibility in the eyes of the people at large.
What
is the Government’s position on this? The argument that he has broken no law
over his ownership of company shares and in allowing his “adik” to use his
shares account is plausible, on the face
of it. What about the question of his
personal and professional judgment?
A
person in his high profile and sensitive position should have the sense to
exercise great care to avoid creating the wrong perception about his actions.
The public perception is that he was using his brother as a convenient cover
for his own corrupt activities.
There
might have been no basis at all in fact. The negative perception that he has
created has done great damage not only to his personal reputation but also,
even more, serious the very shaky and fragile reputation of MACC itself. Given
that no man is bigger than the institution, the Chief Commissioner must accept
responsibility for bringing MACC into disrepute by his flawed personal and
professional judgment.
In
this respect, something must give. The Chief Commissioner must go so that MACC
may regain its lost public confidence and support. Malaysia has to win the war against rampant
corruption.
We
must therefore not forget that the Golden Rule by Our Almighty God that no one
is mightier than our Divine God – we must be treated fairly, squarely plus
performing our duties/obligations with dignity and integrity, WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR. Therefore Azam Baki must enhance and explain
to the Nation. I repeat, NO ONE IS INDISPENSABLE and be
always guided and governed by our Almighty God.
GOD BLESS OUR NATION.
STAY HOME AND STAY SAFE.
“HUMBLENESS IS A GOOD VIRTUE, ARROGANCE SHALL FALL AND THE MEEK WILL RULE THE WORLD”.
Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang
Miow Sin.
Justice of the Peace.
27 Jan 2022
Fresh calls to probe Azam after corruption ranking drops below 2012 level
Reproduce for your General Information. Please read with an open heart and grace.
PKR MPs have renewed calls for the government to act on MACC chief Azam Baki, who is currently embroiled in a “crisis of morale and integrity”.
This is after Malaysia’s ranking in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) dropped to the worst level since 2012.
In a statement, Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah said the drop reflected on the government’s lack of political will to tackle corruption, citing the Azam case as an example.
“The government under Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob should act fast to correct the perception that has befallen Malaysia for fear of severe repercussions in the future,” she added.
Azam came under the spotlight over his ownership of close to two million shares in a public-listed company between 2015 and 2016.
The share ownership had raised questions on whether it was commensurate with his income as a public servant and conflict of interest concerns.
Azam has denied wrongdoing.
The 2021 CPI published on Thursday shows that the country’s score has fallen for the second time in a row, dropping three points from last year’s report which resulted in a score of 48 out of 100.
The score deterioration is reflected in Malaysia’s ranking, which dropped to the 62nd spot from 54 in 2012.
Following the release of the report, the MACC has vowed to review the findings and come up with recommendations.
However, Johor Bahru MP Akmal Nasir said the solution for the graft buster and the government was to conduct a transparent probe on Azam.
“I believe this is the first step that should be taken by the government and MACC to clear the name of the institution as well as the good name of Malaysia on an international level,” the PKR Youth chief said in a separate statement.
The PKR MPs also repeated calls to place the MACC under Parliament and be independent to avoid any interference.
Meanwhile, the Arrest Azam Baki Action Committee questioned the purpose of investigating protest organisers instead of probing Azam.
“Almost 50 activists have been and will be called in by the police for investigation.
“The authorities are trying to scare the rakyat by announcing that they have identified 94 activists and 12 civilians who attended (last Saturday’s) peaceful assembly.
“The committee views these investigations as a form of intimidation, excessiveness and waste of police resources.
“The person who should be investigated is Azam and his scandalous shareholder ‘brother’,” said the group in a statement today.
The group claimed that public trust in the country’s governance was further ruined after the revelation of Malaysia’s rank in the CPI.
They stressed that Azam needed to be reprimanded for investigations to commence.
“As long as he remains on that golden throne, the rakyat is unable to believe in the MACC to prevent bribery and corruption that is widespread in the country,” they said.
Source: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/608616
24 Jan 2022
呼吁政府大刀阔斧改革反贪会别畏首畏尾
新闻稿-供及时发布
Header:
社会爱心基金会主席丹斯里拿督彭茂燊太平局绅
呼吁政府大刀阔斧改革反贪会别畏首畏尾
Body copy:
最近闹得沸沸扬扬的反贪会主席持股事件，反映了反贪会急需改革，以重塑反贪会的公信力，也帮助国家树立反贪威信。
首相乃至整个内阁在此事件上表现得畏首畏尾，难免令人觉得有官官相护之嫌，甚至有人发出疑问，难道这些政府大员都有把柄被人抓住吗？
首相对于涉及反贪会的案件，虽然不能插手，但他应该公正、严明处理，以赢回大众，特别是外资的信心。
我发觉，在这个事件上，所以有的部长都似乎有意和这事件保持距离，即不吭声，抱着明哲保身的态度，让人不禁怀疑，他们是不是都有把柄被人家握在手里？
此外，反贪会主席阿占巴基公然违抗国会遴选委员会的传召，不但失去一个证明清白的好机会，也显露他目中无人，有持无恐，那么，到底是什么造成今日的他？
我建议首相和内阁，应该向元首建言，要求把阿占巴基停职接受调查，给人民一个交代，如果没有一个很好解释，政府倒台的历史将会重复。
阿占巴基应该清楚，他只不过是一个公务员，而不是一位政客，不要把自己的辩护行动搞得好像是在搞政治造势行活动。身为公务人员，他们有一套公务员必须遵守的SOP，他应该接受公开和独立的调查，所谓真金不怕火炼，清者自清。
近年来，我国的外来投资少之又少，部分原因难道不是贪污问题造成的吗？所以，我国必须大刀阔斧的改革反贪这一块，以及为国内的政治风气拨乱反正，以赢得海外投资者的信心。
我希望，政府和反贪会主席不要再侮辱平民百姓的智慧，所谓水能载舟亦能覆舟。
近年的乱象已经严重影响我国的形象，我希望民间可以发起一场大清除运动，以治理这些乱象，去除人治的歪风，牢固法治意识和规矩意意识。
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)