CORRUPTION is our nation’s No. 1 enemy and threat. It is currently in the news and creating spine-chilling revelations of the large number of corrupt officials who are on the take manning our borders up north.
There, law enforcement officers and security personnel have been working together with drugs, weapons and human traffickers, and have allowed them to cross the border without any documents or papers. These officers are like the proverb “harapkan pagar, pagar makan padi”.
Why do they do it? The answer is in the lyrics of Abba’s hit single, “Money! Money! Money! Must be sunny, in a rich man’s world”. The love of money is the driving force behind why many officials are corrupt.
The materialistic and hedonistic lifestyle of the present generation is the reason for corrupt officials being on the take. Temptation, personal greed and the misguided notion that money brings happiness has turned many to be corrupt.
They dream of lavish lifestyles for their families. Exotic overseas holidays and fat bank balances are the pinnacle of high-class living. They can splurge on luxury cars, condominiums and branded goods. They can finance their children to study with the rich and famous in established overseas universities, while their wives can go on shopping sprees and shop till they drop.
Furthermore, since many of these officers are holding positions of authority, they do not think they will be caught so easily. The fact that many in the department were already on the take was another inducement.
Finally, where there are givers, there will be takers. Many are tempted by the huge sums of money offered to them by unscrupulous syndicates.
One needs to be strong-willed and God-fearing to avoid being easily tempted and corrupted.
It was reported that the 20 per cent of the border law enforcement officers and security personnel who were not on the take in the latest revelation were officers who were the surau caretakers and the bilal.
Every government department, even teachers and lecturers, have integrity pledges and recite their vows before staff meetings. The main crux of the integrity pledge is the eradication of corruption in the civil service. Sadly, despite these regular pledges and reminders, corruption is still rampant.
How do we deal with corrupt officials when they are caught? Under normal circumstances, when corrupt officials are caught, all the ill-gotten gains of the corrupt official are repossessed and the corrupt officials are charged and jailed or fined. This mode of punishment has not been an effective deterrent because corruption is still on the rise.
A better and effective punishment and deterrent to corruption would be to freeze and transfer to the state all the assets, properties and bank accounts of the corrupt officials and their family members.
Many corrupt officials are on the take, for the sake of their families, to have a better and luxurious life. Families of corrupt officials, especially spouses, know of their shoddy dealings but choose to keep silent because of the lucrative returns.
The family members are an accomplice to corruption. They know that their breadwinner is on the take and choose to keep silent. Most families know of their bread winner’s earnings.
Responsible and caring family members should report to the authorities when their breadwinner are involved in taking bribes.
We need harsh laws to combat corruption, which has eaten into our society.
Samuel Yesuiah, Seremban, Negri Sembilan