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Combat against corruption: Make the ACA directly responsible to the Parliament   Press Statement by Kerk Kim Hock (Petaling Jaya, Monday): Two days ago, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamd said that it was incumbent upon Malaysians to know the dangers of corruption and bribery and to avoid them like poison.   Yesterday, his Deputy Datuk Abdullah Badawi Ahmad asked the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) to actively investigate into complaint received.   It was not the first time that the nation’s top leaders talked about the need for a total war against corruption in the country. In fact, in February last year, the Prime Minister had said in London that the government would act against those who mismanaged funds, even if they were “ cronies”.   If the government is determined to carry out an all out war against corruption, it must be prepared to embark on new and bold steps which can effectively combat the poison.   The important step that the government must take is to present a legislative amendment in the coming September Parliament to make the ACA a body that shall directly report to the Parliament.   Such move will allow the ACA to be able to carry out investigations without fear or favour.  The move will also help to improve its image as well as to strengthen public confidence in the agency.   ACA must also be allowed to initiate prosecution against any one without having to refer to the Attorney General’s office.   It must also present an annual report to the Parliament and unlike the present Suhakam reports which are not debated by the Members of Parliament due to the failure of the government to allocate time for such debate, provision must be made that at least two full days will be allocated for parliamentary debates on the Annual Reports.   Although the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Abdullah Ahmad had said that the government had never dismissed or set aside any high profile case which required lengthy ACA investigations, public confidence cannot be sustained if there is no announcement of investigation outcome or report of progress over a long period of time.   Hence, I call on the government to present a special parliamentary report in the coming September session on the investigation status into the high profile cases where reports had been lodged for some time as well as the following cases lodged by DAP Melaka leaders:   traveling claims made by the Malacca Chief Minister, State Executive Councilors and Barisan Nasional State elected representatives when attending private or political functions failure of the Majlis Perbandaran Melaka Bandaraya Bersejarah to carry out annual value evaluation and to impose assessment rates immediately upon the issuance of Certificate of Fitness for six projects, thus resulting in the Council’s loss of revenue amounting M 5.92 million abuse of power by Majlis Daerah Jasin in selling a plot a land to a private company without public tender, resulting in revenue loss amounting RM 600,000 (30/6/2003) * Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary General & MP for Kota Melaka