By allowing private scandal to defeat public policy, BN is running a failed government
One of the basic rules of good and clean governance is the crafting and implementantion of public policies that benefits the people and the nation. Private scandal involving questions about integrity and moral behaviour should neither infringe nor influence public policy to the detriment of the nation’s interests. By allowing private scandal to defeat public policy, BN is running a failed government.
Several exposes have highlighted how the BN government not only condones private scandal but also promotes bad public behaviour. Beginning with the Bank Negara foreign exchange scandal, which the Bank Negara admitted incurred losses of RM 10.1 billion in 1992 and RM5.7 billion in 1993.
What is shocking was not the claim by senior Bank Negara officials that the losses were actually double the RM15.8 billion admitted by BN but that the person behind the colossal losses escaped unpunished and later even promoted as Minister. Tan Sri Nor Mohamad Yakcop was forced to resign from Bank Negara on July 10, 1994 for his role in the RM15.8 billion losses and is now the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Since then, we have the RM250 million “cows and condos” scandal involving the family of a former Cabinet Minister. Even though she finally resigned when malpractices of the RM250 million loan National Feedlot were exposed, she still retained her post as UMNO Wanita chief. And we have Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib, who has refused to respond to exposes of his alleged extraordinary wealth.
Taib’s former daughter-in-law, Shanaz Abdul Majid, revealed that Taib’s son charged RM782,520.55 to just one of his credit cards for the first six months of this year. Shahnaz is claiming RM400 million in their divorce settlement in the Syariah courts as her husband is reputedly worth RM1 billion with RM 700 million of deposits in 111 bank accounts in local foreign countries.
How BN condones such private scandal can be seen by the refusal to come clean on the RM40 million donation originally meant for Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman but now clarified as meant for Sabah UMNO? Ex-BN MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing claimed that the RM40 million had been remitted to the personal account of an Umno leader whilst former UMNO Supreme Council member and now independent MP Lajim Ukin today claimed that state party leaders never knew that RM40 million was donated to Sabah Umno.
Another case is the extravagant lifestyle of Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, in which 130,000 guest were feted in an extravagant record-breaking celebration in Malaysia. Until today Ali Rustam has failed to explain who sponsored such a lavish wedding, which Ali Rustam claimed cost only RM600,000?
Yesterday, an Umno parliamentarian Abdul Ghafur Salleh questioned why a person unrelated to Felda was allegedly given the pink form for one million shares in the recently-listed Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV). This was followed by DAP Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua expose that a company involved in the setting up of the country's newest budget carrier, Malindo Airways, has links to two children of Malaysia Ambassador to the United States and Rompin MP Jamaluddin Jarjis.
Malindo Airways is 51 percent owned by National Aerospace and Defence Industries (Nadi), which in turn is owned by four entities. One of these entities is DZJJ Sdn Bhd, in which Jamaluddin's 27-year-old daughter Nur Anis and 25-year-old son Ikhwan Hafiz are directors.
In contrast despite the best efforts of BN, PR state government leaders are clean and not involved in financial scandals. DAP proposes adopted the 6 tests of integrity to fight corruption by making a public declaration of assets, implementing open competitive tenders, bar family members from being involved with government contracts, protect genuine whistleblowers, remove BN leaders with extravagant lifestyles and come clean on political donations.
