Tomorrow, South Korean President Kim Young-sam will make a two-day official visit to Malaysia.
There is no better way for Malaysia to mark the visit of the South Korean President than with a programme to emulate the South Korean example in launching a high-powered war against corruption in high political, government and corporate places.
South Korea under President Kim Young-sam had made an international mark in its seriousness to root out corruption, especially in high political, government and corporate sectors, resulting not only in the mass removal of top government officers tainted by corruption as a result of new disclosure laws, but the prosecution of the corrupt, whether in politics, government or the private sector.
The most outstanding example is of course the arrest, prosecution and conviction of two former South Korean Presidents, Chung Doo Hwan and Roh Tae Woo, who had amassed unbelievable astronomical funds - with Roo confessing to amassing a US$600 million slush fund during the 1988-93 term while prosecutors alleged Chun built a hidden fortune of US$850 million during his 1980-88 tenure.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed had called on Malaysians to “Look East”, particularly at South Korea. The campaign against corruption in high political, government and corporate places is one area where Malaysians should learn from the South Koreans.
It is not that South Korea is the most corrupt nation in the world. In fact, in the Transparency International’s 1996 international corruption perception index, South Korea is placed No. 27 out of 54 countries, one place lower than that of Malaysia - which was placed No. 26.
However, the South Koreans have definitely showed more results in their determination to fight corruption, especially corruption in high political, government and corporate places - and I will not be surprised if South Korea’s ranking in the Transparency International’s international corruption perception index improves considerably next year.
For Malaysia, the war against corruption in high political, government and corporate places had remained at the verbal level - with no follow-up action by the Anti-Corruption Agency in terms of arrests, prosecutions and convictions. The Prime Minister’s impressive denunciation of money politics at the recent UMNO General Assembly, for example, has still to be followed up by actions by the Anti-Corruption Agency.
Although the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had told Parliament during the winding-up of the budget debate on November 13 that the Prevention of Corruption Act 1961 would be amended to give the Anti-Corruption Agency more clout in combating graft, syndicated crime and money laundering, there are no indications that ACA would be getting increased powers to fight money politics or corruption in high political, government and corporate places as had been taking place in South Korea in the past few years.
In fact, from what Anwar had subsequently told the press about the proposed amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act, the new proposals have nothing to do whatsoever with fighting money politics or corruption in high political, government and corporate places.
This is why there is no real “excitement” in the country despite the announcement by Anwar of amendments to the anti-corruption law.
If amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act is to be meaningful, it must arm the ACA with increased powers to be able to launch an all-out war against corruption in high political, government and corporate places.
When will Malaysia be ready to really “Look East” and learn from the South Koreans in waging an uncompromising war against corruption in high political, government and corporate places - as had been conducted in South Korea in the past few years?
(25/11/96)