WITH the decision to bust graft to the core, the Association of Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason, or PCORE, applauds the political will and arm of the government to wage war on this scourge of society.
Once and for all, let us mean what we say and act upon it.
Having followed and written about the insidious growth of corruption at all levels of society and among the country’s movers and shakers for the last 20 years, I am committed to speaking out against corruption. And, having served for two terms on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory board as one of a dozen members, I am convinced that the political will of the government is the key factor in determining the success of the anti-graft war.
Let the nation’s political leaders be what they are duty-bound to be, specifically the protector and saviour of the nation and its people — not the plunderer of its wealth.
However, political will goes beyond paying lip service; it means more than issuing warnings and promising action. It means laying out the snares, casting the traps and laying bare the fishy deeds; it means digging into the filthy waters and daring to unearth the skeletons buried deep in the culture of bribery and corruption.
I believe Malaysians are, in general, susceptible to corruption because of the bunga mas-carrying, buah tangan-bearing, ang pow-giving and upah-taking culture and traditions ingrained in the people’s psyche throughout history. Economic opportunities in the nation’s development since independence have only compounded these cultural traits and “legitimised” them in a sordid and furtive way.
An effective anti-graft action plan involves devising a solid structure and mechanism, whereby the most stringent measures are in place and efficiently executed.
It means establishing a strong, independent anti-corruption agency and giving it the power to investigate and prosecute in sequence. It means getting rid of the bureaucracy and political influence that retard the consolidation of zero tolerance.
The establishment of the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption to complement the investigative role of MACC is a laudable move to circumvent political obstruction. It must be truly independent and report directly to Parliament.
To promise to achieve success in 100 days is tough, especially when it comes to fighting corruption and bringing the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal to book.
With the latter, the persecution has started and the prosecution will begin soon enough, but the desired outcome of rounding up the protagonists and antagonists, and incarcerating the criminals will be a long drawn-out process as lawyers and judges look for loopholes in the law.
And, to all those, including myself, who think they are holier than thou or cleaner than clean, please dig deep into your conscience before you declare your innocence.
Many of us have not upheld the strictest demands of integrity or the highest standards of ethics and morality because it’s not easy to be scrupulously clean. But we can vow to do so and set the finest example for our family and friends.
The Pakatan Harapan government needs the rakyat to be committed in the fight against corruption. They cannot do it without our help. Political will is essentially the people’s will.
Datuk Halimah Mohd Said, President, Association of Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason