RASUAH BUDAYA NEGARA KATA TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL (DWIBAHASA)

Teruskan membaca laporan sun2surf dan harakahdaily mengenai budaya rasuah di Malaysia. Foto Datuk Paul Low Presiden
Transparency International menunjukkan 'Laporan Rasuah Sedunia 2009: Rasuah dan Sektor Swasta'

Jawatan wakil rakyat peluang buat duit, lapor TI

KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Sept: Wakil-wakil rakyat dan penyokong-penyokong rapat mereka percaya bahawa jawatan tersebut adalah peluang untuk membuat duit bagi diri mereka sendiri, Presiden Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) Datuk Paul Low.

Beliau menyifatkan rasuah telah menjadi cara hidup di Malaysia ketika rakyat negara ini merasa tidak berdaya dan kebanyakannya mengalah kepada rasuah yang menjadi-jadi akibat sikap Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) yang enggan berbuat apa-apa walaupun terdapat tuduhan rasuah yang serius.

Beliau seterusnya mendedahkan, institusi dan badan penguatkuasa yang ada di negara ini tidak berkesan dan tidak bebas sepenuhnya.

"Masyarakat percaya tidak ada apa-apa yang dapat dilakukan dan mereka yang diamanahkan dengan wewenang dan kuasa untuk merubah perkara yang berlaku tidak komited (untuk bertindak ke atas jenayah rasuah) atau tidak berdaya melakukannya," sebuah laman web memetik beliau berkata.

"Badan anti rasuah seringkali gagal menangkap 'ikan besar' yang dikatakan pihak yang sebenarnya terlibat di dalam kes-kes rasuah".

Low menyifatkan SPRM dan lain-lain reformasi yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan untuk membasmi rasuah masih belum menunjukkan hasil yang diharapkan.

"Terdapat rasa meluat yang begitu kuat terhadap keadaan yang tidak berubah-ubah itu," kata beliau dalam sidang akhbar mengenai 'Laporan Rasuah Sedunia 2009: Rasuah dan Sektor Swasta' yang antara lain mendedahkan bahawa indeks rasuah di Indonesia jauh lebih rendah dari Malaysia.

Menurut beliau, rasuah diterima, kalaupun tidak dibiar dan dimaafkan, sebagai cara hidup di negara ini kerana ketidakjujuran, rasuah dan mengabdikan diri kepada hawa nafsu telah menjadi nilai-nilai yang diterima malah dipuja-puja.

Usaha memerangi rasuah pula dihalang oleh sistem politik di dalam negara ini walaupun Malaysia mempunyai undang-undang dan polisi yang berkaitan serta institusi untuk melakukan perkara itu.

"Keadaan saling bergantung antara kerajaan, perkhidmatan awam dan sektor swasta menidakkan konsep check and balance," jelas beliau.

Mengenai skandal Zon Bebas Pelabuhan Klang (PKFZ), beliau berkata kes itu membabitkan isu penyaluran dana dari sektor swasta kepada parti-parti politik.

Parti-parti politik yang terlibat menerima dana itu akhirnya akan membalas jasa, katanya.

"Di sinilah munculnya tender tertutup yang bertentangan dengan pemerolehan secara terbuka di dalam perniagaan," katanya lagi.

Beliau menyifatkan skandal PKFZ sebagai peristiwa hitam dalam sejarah negara.

Low juga merupakan pengerusi Jawatankuasa Sementara Pentadbiran dan Tadbir Urus Korporat PKFZ.

"Saya berharap apa yang berlaku dalam PKFZ akan menjadi contoh baik apa yang sepatutnya dilakukan bagi agensi lain dan agensi berkaitan kerajaan.

"Kita tidak boleh membazirkan sumber kita," kata beliau dalam sidang akhbar di Petaling Jaya itu.

Menyifatkannya sebagai satu daripada skandal terbesar tahun ini, Low berkata jawatankuasa itu kini sedang mencari tiga pengarah bukan eksekutif bebas untuk menduduki lembaga.

Beliau berkata sifat-sifat peribadi akan menjadi kriteria pertama bagi pengarah, sebelum kecekapan.

"Mereka perlu mempunyai sikap bertanggungjawab dan tidak mempunyai kepentingan diri sendiri," katanya semasa ditanya mengenai kriteria pelantikan.

Calon-calon akan dipilih daripada mereka yang tidak mempunyai hubungan politik tetapi mahu membantu negara dan PKFZ serta mempunyai pengetahuan mengenai industri pelabuhan, katanya.

Mengenai sama ada tempoh beliau dalam jawatankuasa itu akan dilanjutkan, Low menjawab: "Jika perkara masih tidak selesai, saya mungkin meminta lanjutan."

Jawatankuasa itu dijangka mempunyai masa sehingga Januari 2010 untuk menyelesaikan tugasannya.

Mengenai kontroversi video Datuk V K Lingam yang mendedahkan manipulasi badan kehakiman, Low berkata isu yang melibatkan campur tangan pihak yang berkepentingan dalam perlantikan hakim-hakim tetap menjadi isu yang tidak dapat diselesaikan sejak 2007. _

Abdul Aziz Mustafa/harakahdaily

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TI: Anti-corruption efforts wanting


KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 23, 2009): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and other "reforms" introduced by the government has so far been ineffective in fighting corruption in the country.

Transparency International president Datuk Paul Low said today they have not produced "the desired results" and so the public perception of corruption remains unchanged.

"Malaysians are fed-up with the status quo and the unbearable effects of corruption in the country," he told a press conference after presenting the country report in the Global Corruption Report (GCR) 2009, which focused mainly on corruption in the private sector. Also present was TI executive director Mark Chay.

Low said indicative of this is the Global Corruption Barometer 2009 survey released in May which showed that 70% Malaysians believe the Malaysian government is ineffective in fighting corruption.

In contrast, although Indonesia’s has a far worse position in the corruption perception index than Malaysia, the survey found that 76% of its people believe the Indonesian government is effective in fighting corruption.

“Before the MACC was established last December, the public perceived the then Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) was not independent from the executive branch of the government.

"The ACA was perceived to be selective in its investigations and prosecutions, in that they catch only the small fry and leave the big fish -- and it was politically motivated," he said.

“With the MACC now, although there are commissioners from outside in its new structure, it is really difficult to say if it is any different from the old ACA and MACC has yet to prove this statement otherwise,” he said.

Low pointed out that the controversial death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock in July, in itself raises questions on the MACC's professionalism and hints of abuses of powers in the way it conducts investigations.

Likewise, the GCR pointed out that the implementation of the watered down Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to a Special Complaints Commission (SCC), strongly indicates the government’s inability to regulate the gatekeepers.

Low said the public needs to be confident of a clean police force which is free from external influences and that investigations are conducted fairly into all reports lodged to the police.

The GCR report noted that inaction in the light of serious corruption allegations and inability to catch the ‘big fish’, has gravely undermined public confidence in the authorities.

“Public confidence will be further undermined if these issues are not addressed quickly and effectively,” said Low, pointing out that issues pertaining to alleged tampering in the appointment of judges as highlighted in the V.K. Lingam case, has been left unresolved since 2007.

Low stressed that the inter-relationship and participation between the government, civil service and private sector, in effect, negates the concept of check and balance.

“A common thread running through politics, the civil service and private sector is the revolving door, through which individuals move from government to business or business to politics and back again,” the report highlighted.

Low said while it is good in the context of solving economic problems and dealing with investments, “political patronage or funding and money politics are big issues in the economics.”

“Until drastic action is taken to separate the cozy relationship between government, business and politics, the anti-corruption effort will remain no more than a token gesture,” he stressed.

Among others, the GCR said the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) case -- which it described as one of the biggest scandals of the year -- involving politicians, government officials and businessmen, substantiates the weak oversight of public-private relationships.

“The complexity of the relationships between politics and private sectors mean that corruption may take place with impunity. Therefore, the practice of revolving and rotating doors and active government participation in the economy creates an appearance of impropriety…and increases corruption risks,” said the report.

However, Low was happy to note that there has been commendable efforts in making public the details of the scandal.

“Never in the Malaysian history has there been such a disclosure before,” he said.

Meanwhile, the GCR commended the Penang state government for introducing several measures to improve the regulatory environment with regard to government procurement, referred to as a CAT -- Competent, Accountable and Transparent -- government.

“It is the first state government to implement the open tender system for government procurement and contracts,” it noted.

As to the question of whether corruption is a way of life in Malaysia, Low said:

“Yes, when the society believes that nothing can be done to fight it; when elected representatives and their close supporters believe that they are there to make money for themselves; when institutions and enforcement agencies are ineffective and independence are compromised; and yes, when dishonesty, corruption and self-indulgence becomes values that are tolerated.”

By Karen Arukesamy/sun2surf