GRADUALLY, it has become obvious that corruption is not a rare occurrence in this country. Instead, it is as if a momentum has been achieved, and what was once talk, hearsay or gossip is now being proven true. At every level of the government bureaucracy, there have been cases of abuse of power, embezzlement, bribery and kickbacks. The recent uncovering of the cloned cars racket led to the arrest of several Road Transport Department (RTD) officers. Unfortunately, more than the racket was uncovered. Some officers were found to have been on the take. Meanwhile, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is revising standard operating procedures to ensure transparency, and officers of four of its departments have been told to declare their assets. The RTD and DBKL are but two of the latest in a series of disclosures made by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), beginning with those affecting the timber industry some two years ago.
Ever since, the Customs Department’s image has been severely tarnished, so too that of the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Immigration Department and the Sports Council. The MACC was sent to the Cameron Highlands Land Office to look into the illegal land opening and faced an office that was far from cooperative. It sniffed around the bauxite mining in Kuantan, which was poisoning the environment. Recently, it investigated the Penang chief minister and brought charges against him. There is also the two Bank Rakyat bosses arrested over a RM15 million book publishing contract and an upgrading project. The most recent is a “Datuk Seri”, a high-ranking official in Tourism Malaysia, who is being investigated for abuse of power. Amounts involved varied from millions of ringgit at the top, to several hundred ringgit per take at the bottom.
Is it any wonder then that Malaysia’s ranking on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index has never made dramatic improvements? With all these disclosures, the country’s ranking can only tank further. Of course, when looking for a silver lining one can say that the MACC is doing its job well. And, if the country wants better, the MACC must be, figuratively speaking, armed to the teeth. However, a system of checks and balances must be in place to prevent abuse on its part. Who polices the MACC is a pertinent concern. Bodies such as the MACC and the Royal Malaysia Police must have the powers they need to maintain the rule of law effectively and yet public accountability is of paramount importance. Some oversight body is needed to curb abuses within what must potentially be very powerful bodies. Political will is the only recourse if the MACC — so too the police force — is to be both powerful and accountable.