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02
Feb
12

Let Me Tell You Why Some BN Leaders Fear to Declare Their Assets – Robert Phang

From Malaysia Chronicle

In the last few weeks, I have openly condemned the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency’s (MACC) inaction over the NFC Scandal and the blazen shameless admission of acceptance of gratification by Awang Adek. Since then, Malaysians have witnessed another “rejected” Minister, Azalina Othman Said, making a similar admission.

It seems that instead of being embarrassed, apologetic and standing down from public office, these shameless BN ministers are being emboldened to use the propaganda tools of their party and the mainstream media to make their misconducts look innocent. Like most Malaysians, I am appalled and find this most repulsive.

An echo in the PM’s Department

My call for Shahrizat Jalil and Awang Adek to resign from all posts in the party and the government is exactly to prevent what is happening now. I knew they would use all their resources to spin fabulous stories of how they have been victimized and how the whole fiasco is a misunderstanding.

You can clearly see that happening when Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali comes to Shahrizat’s defence and tries to make the Auditor-General a political scapegoat. You then see the jantan or macho minister in the PM’s office, Nazri Aziz, explaining why there cannot be a public declaration of assets by those holding high public office.

To make it appear that the Chinese community also share this “aspiration” for secrecy, Nazri’s deputy, VK Liew, echoes his boss’s sentiments by saying that that it is inappropriate for the MACC to keep records of properties of ministers and deputy ministers.

That to me amounts to abusing the 1Malysia concept to cover up for wrong doings by government leaders. That is against the Islamic principles of “Amr Ma’aruf Nahy Mungkar” i.e. encourage righteousness and discourage evil. That it is done by the highest echelons of our government leaders is public display of arrogance of the highest order.

VK Liew, please break wind in your own home!

Let us remind ourselves that Teoh Beng Hock died over allegations of a mere RM 2,400-00. Ahmad Sarbaini died because of similar minor allegations which until today have just gone silent. Yet, when the riches of the powerful are involved, the MACC either drag its feet or behave like eunuchs emasculated of all their powers. I ask the MACC – why the discrimination?

But I cannot stomach it if so called Chinese leaders like VK Liew speaks with a forked tongue just to please his political masters. Let me say this to VK Liew – “IF YOU HAVE TO FART, PLEASE DO IT IN THE COMFORT AND PRIVACY OF YOUR HOME. IF YOU HAVE MUCH TO HIDE, THEN QUIT”

It is on record and for reasons best known to MACC, they had acted in a very high handed manner against Lawyer Rosli Dahlan in asking him to declare his assets whereas he had never even served in any public office. He had been a private practitioner all along and despite his innocence, he was humiliated, abused and charged just because he acted professionally to defend his client. Yet, we now have a senior UMNO Minister and his Chinese deputy saying that MACC cannot be entitled to keep records of Ministers’ wealth. What is it that these UMNO and BN Chinese leaders so afraid of in making and open declaration of their wealth if all their accumulated wealth are legitimate?

I wish to remind VK Liew that he is elected by the people to serve in public office and his salary comes from law-abiding taxpayers.The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president is therefore accountable to the people at all times and can be made answerable the MACC when needed. If you have nothing to hide or what the Chinese would say, “Something that cannot see the daylight”, then what is there to fear?

If there’s nothing to hide, they should not be scared

As a former MACC advisory panel member, I fully support MACC Advisory Panel Chairman, Zaitun Zawiyah Puteh, over the commission’s proposal to the government as follows:

a) to obtain a copy of the declaration of assets of Cabinet members and their spouses and other family members;

b) that a copy of the declaration of assets of all members of the federal administration be given to the commission;

c) that their spouses and other family members be required to disclose their assets through a statutory declaration and a record of it be kept by the MACC.

No better person to know the assets of Ministers than the MACC

It is most appropriate for MACC to know the assets of all who hold high public office. That is what accountability and transparency is about in the public sector. Liew is, therefore, seriously flawed in his argument that MACC’s main role is only to receive and investigate complaints on corruption in the country.

To be an effective enforcement agency, the MACC must have reliable records to enable it to gather reliable and solid evidence for a successful prosecution. If Liew, cannot understand such basic logic in the fight against corruption, it is time for him to step down or for the people to elect another more intelligent leader.

“HUMBLENESS IS GOOD VIRTUE, ARROGANCE SHALL FALL,

THE MEEK WILL RULE THE WORLD”.

Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang is a prominent citizen, an ex-member of the MACC advisory panel.


8 Responses to “Let Me Tell You Why Some BN Leaders Fear to Declare Their Assets – Robert Phang”


  1. 1 ng chai hing Feb 2nd, 2012 at 3:57 am

    The answer is very simple because these leaders have too much illicit fund under their care that cannot to be revealed to the public.

    Reply

  2. 2 n.guyen sun Feb 2nd, 2012 at 7:27 am

    clean the corruption in malaysia

    Reply

  3. 3 Manjit Bhatia Feb 2nd, 2012 at 7:48 am

    Robert Phang: (1) The spiel in your article and the headline of your article do not match. Not once did you tell your reader why BN leaders are afraid to declare their wealth. (2) I suspect a sizable majority of Malaysians do not trust the MACC any more than they trust the Election Commission, the Malaysian police, the Malaysian army, any of the malaysian political parties, especially Umno and BN. So what makes you think, given MACC’s track record thus far, that the MACC is entirely the most credible and appropriate organization for this task? (3) If accountability and responsibility “is about the public sector”, then ministers and their families must not be the only ones who are to be compelled to declare their assets. Senior public servants and their families must do likewise. (4) Given the entrenchment of corruption in Malaysia at almost all levels of Malaysian ‘society’, the private sector must also be included in this exercise. After all, corruption, crony capitalism and nepotism has always been the central philosophy and raison d’être of every political regime in your country. (5) MACC is not an independent body; it is a body dependent on its political masters. As such it must not be allowed to be the keeper of truth because it is beneath truth. Another completely politically independent body must be instituted by legal fiat, and they must also consider look into trust accounts and the like where illegal monies may be hidden. (6) Good luck with all of this. My money is that in 50 years all that has changed will will stayed the same. Because this is the true rottenness of Malaysia.

    Reply

  4. 4 Dr. Amir Feb 2nd, 2012 at 10:05 am

    Dear Readers,

    These Malay leaders are too arrogant to see the reality of life. They are too comfort to even take notice of the poor malays living in the rural areas with little to eat and living on daily basis (KAIS PAGI MAKAN PAGI KAIS PETANG MAKAN PETANG). Now even MCA dares to declare themselves as CHINESEPUTRAS. I would like to see Indians declaring themselves INDIANPUTRAS.

    As GE13 approaches, some bran (dedak) were thrown to these poor lots reminding them of their leaders loving tender care attitudes. These lots of malays are easily swayed, as if believing the Almighty had answered their prayers and had elevated them out of the woods. They did not realise that these are the rakyats money and their ‘wealth’ is short lived. There will be no more till the next GE. However, today things may not be too comfortable to BN, since majority of these parents had their kids working in the city and many shall not be influenced. However, thing are still rampant in East Malaysia, where it is suppose to be BN’s vote-banks. They gave away too little but they plunder to the bare skin of the nation’s wealth. They even dare to claim their wrongdoing to the public and offer no apology or resignation. This is a new trend in the ruling BN party and a dangerous one.

    The opposition should make it their main agenda on how to educate the poor Malaysians in the rural areas and inform them to vote wisely. They should be thought what is given to them is a gift from the rakyat but they have their right to choose leaders of high moral and integrity.

    Taking bribes and gifts before and after approving projects is the UMNOPUTRA’s ways of life. They are very proud of their doing, since their leaders are doing the same with no feeling of guilt. They are the law makers and they are above the law and they considered themselves as God. As muslim they cant even differentiate between – “HARAM & HALAL”. Everything is green no red. MACC is just a dead wood organisation and only acted on the instruction of their dead wood masters.

    Reply

  5. 5 NIBONG TEBAL GUY Feb 2nd, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    Bravo Tan Sri Datuk Roberts! DSAI, we have to welcome Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang’s call for ALL MP’s, Ministers and Deputies as well as all Senior staff in the public service to declare their assets to MACC and come out ‘clean’.

    Tan Sri had been a ‘no nonsense’ leader who only fears GOD. I know him from those days when he was active in the SAI Foundation (is still active). Can any of those men named by him challenge Tan Sri? Let us wait for them to do so.

    Reply

  6. 6 hniff88 Feb 2nd, 2012 at 3:16 pm

    UMNO BN adalah bos judi genting highland, dan bagi rakyat makan duit judi, hapuskan judi sekarang, cari bukti penipuan SPRM untuk PKR menang PRU13
    http://www.genting.com/annualreports/gb/2010/gb2010_16_22.pdf

    Reply

  7. 7 monsterball Feb 3rd, 2012 at 2:43 am

    In our simple way…we know they have billions stolen …stake up and kept overseas..and these money cannot see the light to be exposed.
    How can you tell a thieve to declare his/her assets?

    Reply

  8. 8 Amin Feb 3rd, 2012 at 7:36 am

    Betul..kita perlu transformasi

    Reply

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