MACC’s independence needs review to arrest corruption, abuse of power


WE need to tackle the issue of corruption and power abuse in the country more seriously. People are already fed-up of it and it happens continuously every year.

 

If we really want to control and eradicate these crimes, everybody in the country must actively and constructively play their role. We cannot leave the matter to be handled solely by the police or by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Everybody must be alert over their surroundings and report any mysterious or suspicious activities to the relevant authorities instead of doing nothing or turning their doubts into worthless gossip.

It is very important for us to know that there are many ways to prove crimes involving corruption and power abuse, and one is by looking at the sudden change in the lifestyle of a suspect themselves and of their family.

Any unexplained wealth or a sudden acquiring of a lavish lifestyle will certainly raise doubt and suspicion within the minds of any reasonable human being. Every rational person will want to get answers to any matter that raises doubt and suspicion.

It is not wrong for any rational human being to have such thoughts and make an inquiry over it. The only problem now is that most of these doubts and suspicions are kept by the individual to themselves, or, worst, turned into gossip that will not bring any significant changes in terms of controlling and eradicating the crimes of corruption and power abuse in the country.

The temptation of showing off to other people the sudden wealth that the suspect has obtained through such crimes is difficult for them and their immediate family members to resist.

With the existence of social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and others, such temptations are easy and enjoyable for them to give in to.

It is important to note that many of the items seized by the authorities from suspects and their immediate family members over are relatively expensive or lavish items like jewellery, branded watches, cars and others, which cost thousands and, sometimes, millions of ringgit. There’s also evidence of frequent overseas trips or travelling first or business class.

It is impossible for any ordinary person, including civil servants, regardless of their rank in service, to purchase those lavish items and to book highly priced flight tickets for overseas trips. 

If any person, including civil servants and their immediate families start to show off their unexplained wealth, it is time for us to be brave and ask questions about the source of their income.

If the explanation given by the suspect is not satisfactory or is doubtful, we can take the matter to the higher level, namely by reporting the matter to the relevant authorities for proper or formal investigation to be carried out.

Unexplained wealth or sudden lavish lifestyles can also become circumstantial evidence that can be used along with other evidence to implicate the suspect for the crimes they have been charged with.

At the same time, we should initiate drastic steps and changes in our country’s policies to deal with corruption and power abuse more effectively. If we don’t do anything these crimes will continue to repeat themselves and affect our country’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for many years to come.

One of the most important policy changes to make is to make sure that people who wield the power to oversee government tenders and projects make their wealth known to the public and to the authorities.

Such a policy was first introduced during the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. It made it easier for the MACC to adjudicate individuals based on their initial declaration of assets and contrast that to their lifestyles and sudden growth in wealth.

The next policy change that needs to be implemented is the random redistribution of staff in key areas. Staff who work in sensitive departments like procurement, finance and asset development should be frequently rotated without going through the head of department or even the ministers. This is to ensure they are not stationed long enough to form a cartel. Usually, the longer they stay, the more powerful they become. This dangerous chain must be prevented from even being formed.

Another solution is the total independence of the investigative body itself. The investigative body, or, in this case the MACC, should not be under the Prime Minister’s office but should be answerable to Parliament where a joint commission sits to regulate any and all of their actions.

The revelation over the government tender cartel last year and other issues put a huge dent in the integrity of the civil service. Unless a proper and more suitable policy or mechanism is in place, such stigma will continuously loom over the nation. We need to act quickly now to make all the necessary changes.

*Muzaffar Syah Mallow is Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia associate professor, and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is Muar MP.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.


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