Nation engulfed by an epidemic of corruption

Probe higher ups on Sabah RM115m graft bust, urges ex-MACC adviser

Bazooka: It looks like the whole country is inflicted with the corruption epidemic, starting with Malaysian Official 1 (MO1), whoever he or she may be.

So we now know that political parties have allegedly been winning elections fraudulently and ruling over us illegitimately.

It is a great shame to admit being Malaysian overseas. The present government is not fit to continue with the spate of corruption discoveries by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

As always, the lower-ranking people are the ones who must take the rap.

Appum: You are right, Bazooka. But the lower-ranking officials will readily take the rap for a percentage of the loot. So what else is new?

Indeed, there is an epidemic of corruption in this country. ‘Kepimpinan Melalui Teladan’ (Leadership Through Example) was the slogan during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s time. I wonder what he thinks of the slogan now.

GE14Now!: While I applaud the effort of the MACC to go after corrupt officials, it seems strange that the huge elephant in the room is being ignored.

I agree that all manner of corruption needs to be weeded out of the government system but surely you need to strike first at the very root of corruption. That root is Mr MO1 and we await the day when he will be brought to trial.

If that is not done, then you will see that even the smaller fishes will get tired of corruption that runs into the millions – indeed they will go for the billions and the above mentioned infrastructure projects are testament to the ever growing greed there is in the extant government.

Only by incarcerating the main culprit can fear be instilled in those lower down the totem pole.

Anonymous #66797900: The MACC must be congratulated for executing a most difficult task by hauling in these two civil servants and revealing to the media immediately their scoop. It is obvious that they had neither referred the matter to the PM or CM before that.

I also note that the investigations had started way back and that for the last one year, these two suspects were on the radar of the MACC.

Thus the senior officers who were suddenly removed or retired should be congratulated too for having initiated the probe. This is clear evidence that corruption on a massive scale is the norm in the civil service, and also that there are some who are willing to stick their neck out to nail the corrupt.

Let’s hope that the attorney-general (AG) will not decide that there is insufficient evidence to charge them as the millions that were seized were a donation and that the jewellery, cars and bags were gifts from well-wishers.

Rupert16: While we applaud MACC’s efforts in going beyond the usual ikan bilis, and are now catching bigger fishes like ikan kurau and siakap, the big white sharks are still roaming freely.

Until and unless these sharks such as MO1 and Jho Low are arrested and charged, MACC will never be seen as doing enough or meeting expectations.

Worried Sick: How two civil servants could amass such an amount of money and valuables is mind-boggling. How they could have gotten away with it all this while is equally mind-boggling.

Even if the MACC must be congratulated, it must be serious in wanting its reputation enhanced among the people.

So, it should really get to the bottom of things: find the mastermind(s). It must be some people at the very top and the new fearless MACC leaders should go after them, whoever they may be.

Anyway, the ordinary people (who are finding the cost of living prohibitively high) are now beginning to wonder why the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was imposed and why they have to pay an extra six percent for everything they buy when you have only two persons amassing such wealth. It is indeed mind-boggling.

Spinnot: “(Former MACC advisory panel member Robert) Phang congratulated the MACC on the seizure, but urged them to expand their investigations into the case to Sabah politicians as well.”

Why not extend their investigations to all government departments, agencies, and government-linked companies (GLCs) in the whole country as well?

Headhunter: Phang has hit the nail on the head. The classic saying that a fish starts to rot from the head rings true here. It was reported somewhere that this could be Umno war chest.

Let’s see if MACC pursues this to the very end or will it be like 1MDB where the authorities inevitably run out of gas.

6th Generation Immigrant: The more appropriate question that should be raised is – since the two lowly directors allegedly do not possess any capacities to scheme for themselves or their own benefits intelligently and also with such huge transactions across the South China Sea – who are the eventual or perceived owners of the spoils now and eventually?

Did MACC move too fast? Was Sabah MACC in the loop? Is MACC fighting back hard since the last arrests, terminations and retirements of MACC staffers?

If one is not careful, MACC might be put on a similar back foot as previously. So who should investigate the higher-ups?

Clearwater: We all know the buck stops at the highest level in Malaysia, both literally and figuratively. Problem is, where the buck stops, so does the investigation, for the most obvious of reasons.

Mosquitobrain: MACC ‘slow’ at Plus Expressway but ‘fast’ at Autobahn. This is a case of follow and do what the leaders do. But keep it below RM2.6 billion.

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