Speech by Lim Kit Siang at the 2008 DAPSY
Congress at Federal Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on
Saturday, 6th December 2008:
Najib and the top UMNO contenders should
declare whether they support reform legislation for independent
judiciary and anti-corruption commission
With the end of the 31-day debate on the 2009
Budget last Thursday, the focus of the last six sittings of the current
budget meeting ending on December 18 will be on two of the three reform
measures which the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, had
promised to accomplish before he steps down from office next March.
These are the Bills to establish the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MCAC), reputedly patterned after Hong Kong’s Independent
Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and the Judicial Appointments
Commission.
As I have not sighted either of the bills, I am unable to comment
intelligently on them.
However, it is evident that both these “reform” bills have evoked
considerable opposition in UMNO circles, reaching to very high evels of
the Umno leadership.
It would appear that there are powerful Umno circles who are
uncomfortable with any measures to create a more independent agency with
a bit more bite to fight corruption, especially as the ongoing Umno
party elections is mired in the worst money politics and corruption in
the party history.
I understand that among powerful UMNO personalities who are strongly
opposed to Parliament enacting reform legislation on anti-corruption and
the judiciary, and the four-day extension of Parliament to Dec. 18 to
debate and approve these bills, are those who are contesting for high
Umno posts next March, including candidates for Umno Supreme Council,
UMNO Vice Presidents and Deputy President.
I call on the Prime Minister-designate Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has
won the Umno President’s post uncontested, as well as all UMNO
candidates for the top party posts, particularly those contesting for
the positions of UMNO Deputy President and Vice Presidents to
immediately and publicly declare whether they give full support to the
reform legislation for anti-corruption and the judiciary, and in
particular whether they are fully behind Abdullah with regard to the
bills for judicial and anti-corruption reforms to be tabled in
Parliament next week.
*
Lim
Kit Siang, DAP
Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor
http://dapmalaysia.org