BN has failed the 6 tests of fighting corruption

BN has failed the 6 tests of fighting corruption of 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?

Malaysians are disappointed that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak consider the RM40 million donation to UMNO Sabah as proper and appropriate and reject outright the allegations of extraordinary wealth of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud. Taib’s former daughter-in-law, Mahmud Shahnaz 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 Tan Sri 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 Tan Sri 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?

DAP proposes 6 steps to fight corruption. One, institutionalise public declaration of assets. This has been done in Penang where the Chief Minister and the entire State Exco has made a public declaration of assets that has even been certified by an international accounting firm. If Penang can do it, why can’t the Prime Minister and his Federal Cabinet or the Sarawak Chief Minister and his EXCO members do the same?

Two, BN leaders with extravagant lifestyle owning luxury homes, cars and huge personal bank accounts in foreign countries must be dropped. Three, family members must also be barred from being involved in government business to avoid another RM 250 million “cows and condos” National Feedlot scandal. Four, those genuine whistleblowers who expose corruption cases leading to charges in court must be protected instead of being persecuted.

Five, BN must come clean on political donations such as the RM40 million political donation to Sabah UMNO. Finally, open competitive tenders must be implemented. Without open competitive tenders, public projects are directly negotiated and awarded to cronies causing loss of public revenue such as the cheap sale of the Sungai Besi Air Force Base land. Or the RM240 million spent on the Melaka Airport which is grossly under-utilised without any planes but except to fly kites. Perhaps it can be also used to rear cows. Can the RM386 million for 57 KR1M stores in Sabah and Sarawak or RM6.7 million per store be justified? At RM6.7 million per store, are the KR1M stores selling basic necessities like sugar, salt and rice or luxury items like jewellery and designer handbags?

In Penang, open competitive tenders were implemented immediately after the change of government in 2008 and as a result the state government has been able to achieve surplus budgets every year since, with proceeds from the savings going back to the people annually in the form of an “anti-corruption dividend”.

Even Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung admitted that corruption cost Malaysia RM26 billion every year. Worse is the Global Financial Integrity Report from Washington estimated that more RM1,077 million of illicit money flowed out illegally from Malaysia from 2000-9.

PR has shown that we are competent in good governance. Based on the 2011 Auditor-General’s Report, Penang recorded a 47% increase in revenue or RM192 million from RM 411 million in 2010 to RM603 million in 2011. In contrast Melaka’s revenue decreased by 24% or RM84 million to RM272 million.

Penang’s surplus increased by 312% from RM33 million in 2010 to RM 138 million in 2011. Whilst Melaka went down by 95% or RM 5 million from RM 5.03 million in 2010 to only RM0.26 million in 2011. Penang’s debts went down by 95% whereas Melaka’s debts increased by 15% or RM134 million to RM866 million. Clearly PR can manage the economy better than Melaka.