Has Mohd Said’s “close-one-eye” scandal ended up as “close-both-eyes” scandal for the government?

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Wednesday) :  The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has directed that the spat and “mud-slinging” between the Barisan Nasional MP for Jasin, Datuk Mohd Said Yusof and the Customs and Excise Department be stopped.

Speaking in Seremban yesterday, Abdullah said they should quit hurling accusations at each other because the negative reactions would have adverse effects on both parties, as  both sides would end up as losers if the mud-slinging continued.

Very serious allegations of  malpractices, abuses of power, misuse of public funds and even corruption had been made in the spat between Mohd Said Yusof and the Customs and Excise Department since the "close one-eye" scandal surfaced in May implicating Mohd Said in the case involving the illegal  import of sawn timber from Indonesia - as well as whether Mohd Said had committed parliamentary breach of privilege for being involved in conflict-of-interest situation.

With the "gag" order from the Prime Minister, are all these allegations of malpractices, abuses of power, misuse of public funds, corruption and breach of parliamentary privilege instantly swept under the carpet - including the Anti-Corruption Agency investigations into the  "one-eye closed" scandal?

It will be a major blow to the commitment of the Abdullah administration to national integrity when  there is  no sense of right and wrong with regard to the serious allegations raised in the spat between Mohd Said and the Customs and Excise Department?

Has  Mohd Said’s  "close-one-eye" scandal ended up  as a "close-both-eyes" scandal for the government?

(30/08/2006)