DAP welcomes further measures on the anti-corruption front which has made me dare to hope for the first time in three decades that there is a possibility that the Government may embark on an all-out war against corruption in high political places

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang

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(Petaling Jaya, Friday): The DAP welcomes further measures on the anti-corruption front indicating that there is a possibility that the Government may embark on an all-out war against corruption in high political places.

This is what the voters of Teluk Intan wanted when they "wrote history and created history" in producing the Richter 6 "political earthquake" in the Teluk Intan by-election on May 17, for the fourth item of the Teluk Intan 20-Points on their Fundamental Demands and Aspirations stated:

"4. Demand that the whole nation should make the war against corruption as the first item of national agenda with the national target to be among the 10 cleanest and least corrupt nations in the world - instead of being placed in the 26th position out of 54 countries in the Transparency International's international corruption perception index for 1996."

When former Malacca State Exco member, Datuk Sahar Arpan was dropped from the new Malacca State Exco and was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and charged in court early this week on three charges of corrupt practice, I had welcomed it but cautioned that "a swallow does not make a summer".

I stressed that while Malaysians welcome a more effective Anti-Corruption Agency, questions remain as to whether the government is serious about fighting corruption in high political places and whether the ACA would have the adequate powers and independence to launch an all-out war against corruption, free to arrest any political leader for corruption without having to get any political "green-light".

I must say that the events in the past few days have made me dare to hope for the first time in my three decades of political crusade against corruption and to strive for a clean and honest government that there may be a possibility that the government might heed the voice of the people as those articulated by the voters of Teluk Intan and embark on an all-out war against corruption in high political places.

The events in the past few days on the anti-corruption front are:

• The announcement by the Acting Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim that all new state executive councillors would have to declare their assets to the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) before taking office. · The arrest of an executive secretary of a Selangor exco member on suspicion of accepting bribes.
• The stripping of Datuk Sahar Arpan, who currently faces charges of corruption, of all party posts by UMNO Supreme Council.
• The sacking of Primary Industries Deputy Minister, Siti Zainab Abu Bakar for her involvement in the "missing" RM1.8 million from the Wanita UMNO account and her suspension from all party posts, together with the movement�s former secretary, Senator Habshah Othman, who was also implicated in the scandal.
• The order from London by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in his videoconference yesterday to UMNO to wage an all-out war against corruption.
• The announcement that the Cabinet had approved heavier penalties sought by the ACA for corruption offences, doubling the maximum jail sentence from five to ten years while the maximum fines had been increased ten-fold from RM10,000 to RM100,000.

These are welcome measures although more would have to be done if the government is to convince Malaysians that it is really serious in wanting to wage an all-out war against corruption.

For instance, I would expect further follow-up measures to be taken on some of the developments of the past few days to show a government fully serious and committed to an all-war out against corruption:

• Extension of the new ruling governing all new State Exco members to also require all new Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries as well as Mentri-Mentri Besar and Chief Ministers to declare their assets to the ACA and subject to ACA clearance before taking office.
• The stripping of Datuk Shahar Arpan not only of all UMNO party posts, but also his sacking as deputy chairman of the Malacca State Development Corporation as well as his resignation as Malacca State Assemblyman for Durian Tunggal.
• The reference of the cases of Siti Zainab Abu Bakar and Senator Habshah Othman to the Anti-Corruption Agency or the Police for the due process of law to take its course. Malaysia does not have two types of criminal offences, divided into those which are "internal party matters" and others which are within the jurisdiction of the courts. In fact, the top UMNO and government leaders would be failing in their fundamental duty as law-abiding citizens as well as breaking the law in not reporting criminal offences within their knowledge to the police authorities. Furthermore, the failure to report Siti Zainab Bakar and Senator Habshah to the ACA or police authorities would run counter to the order given by the Prime Minister in his videoconference yesterday that "We will not defend anybody who is corrupt. Otherwise, people will think that just because we are in power, we protect them...this is not healthy for the party and Government".
• The increased penalties for corruption offences sought by the ACA may be adequate one year ago, but they are now grossly inadequate when there is a greater realisation of the bane of corruption, which could cause the ruination of nations and societies, and when Malaysians have a higher expectation about the importance to wage an all-out war against corruption. The increase of the maximum fines for corruption by tenfold from RM10,000 to RM100,000 is not impressive at all, when taking into account that tens or even hundreds of millions of ringgit could be the subject of corruption in high political places, and that in the recent amendment to the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, the maximum fine for copyright offence is as high as RM500,000. How can Malaysia tell the people and the world that we are serious in declaring an all-out war against corruption when a copyright offence attracts a maximum penalty five times higher than that of a corruption offence?
• The lack of seriousness or sense of urgency in amending the anti-corruption laws to enable the ACA to fight rampant corruption, as seen by the fact that the Prevention of Corruption Act had not been amended for the past 26 years since 1971. Even the amendment on the minor increase in penalties for corruption offences agreed by Cabinet is not expected to be tabled in Parliament until end of the year, if not later. The Cabinet must take a policy decision to introduce amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act 1961 in the July meeting of Parliament to send out a clear message that the government is serious in the fight against corruption. The amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act should make the anti-corruption law in Malaysia the most severe and stringent in the world and should increase the powers and independence of the ACA as well as enhance penalties for corruption offences, including the powers of confiscation of properties and wealth completely disproportionate to known sources of income of a Minister, Mentri Besar or Chief Minister.

Although I am beginning, for the first time in three decades, to dare to hope that the government might be prepared to embark on an all-out war against corruption, particularly in high political places, and I have seen not just one swallow but a few swallows, they still do not make a summer.

I hope I could in the next few months state that my daring to hope that the government might be prepared to embark on an all-out war against corruption is not misplaced - and which better place to do so then in the July meeting of Parliament, with the government introducing a new and comprehensive anti-corruption law to give the ACA independent status, enhanced powers, increased personnel as well as the most severe penalties for corruption in the world, just as Malaysian Parliament has passed the most severe penalties in the world for computer crimes.

(6/6/97)