by Lim Guan Eng

(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): BN MP for Jasin Datuk Mohd Said Yusof should immediately lodge a report with the ACA to prove the veracity of his allegations in Parliament yesterday against the Customs department. This is important to show that his allegations are based on facts and not an act of personal vengeance for exposing him for requesting Customs to “close one eye” after Customs seized a consignment of timber imported by his company.

Datuk Mohd Said Yusof has alleged certain top Melaka Customs officials had sold confiscated luxury cars cheaply to their “friends” in the palaces and other government departments. He claimed that Melaka Customs officials had abused their power by selling the cars meant for open auction to their royalty friends in return for Datukships.

Such allegations are serious because this is clearly corruption involving Customs officers  in the sale of confiscated luxury cars. Mohd Said said that luxury cars such as Mercedes or BMW were sold by Customs officials to those in the palaces and to top government officials for as low as RM50,000 or RM60,000 each whilst most condemned cars that required repairs were auctioned off at low prices

Mohd Said has a valid point in asking why these luxury BMW or Mercedes cars are not auctioned to the public so that the Government could make more money. But DAP can not understand why he refuses to lodge a report with the ACA when he has proof of the Melaka Customs officials’ alleged corrupt practices. To ask the reporters to investigate instead is most irresponsible and only arouse suspicions that he is seeking personal vengeance against Customs.

Malaysian know that there are a lot of malpractices, abuses of power and corruption within Customs Department and want action to be taken. For Mohd Said to refuse to report to ACA when he has proof shows his lack of commitment towards establishing integrity and accountability as well as he is unfit to be a MP. He even cited a recent reported case involving two Mercedes cars which Customs officials seized from a showroom in Johor and later sold for RM45,000 and RM50,000 each.

Any failure by Mohd Said to pursue the matter with Customs Department will only be met with derision by the public that BN MPs know how to talk only but dare not act against corruption. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should direct Mohd Said to lodge a report with the ACA to avoid not only making BN MPs a laughing-stock but also question the integrity, sincerity and commitment of BN MPs in fighting corruption.

(29/06/2006)