YOUTH and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman should resign if he can’t be transparent and reveal details about a drug-fuelled party attended by ministers’ aides and youth leaders from his party, said a civil society movement.

Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) executive director Cynthia Gabriel said Syed Saddiq must make the offenders public and reveal details of the secret deals struck at the party. 

“If he cannot do so, he… must do the responsible thing and resign,” she added.

The Malaysian Insight reported police sources as saying earlier today that a businessman organised the drug-fuelled party for top government officials to obtain lucrative contracts.

Sources said party-goers were offered women, drugs and gambling.

Among the women provided at the party included private college student and foreigners.

Dengkil assemblyman Adhif Syan Abdullah of Bersatu and four political aides, including Syed Saddiq’s, were among the 17 nabbed from a condominium in Puchong.

Both Adhif Syan, who is Selangor Bersatu youth chief, and political aide Ahmad Redzuan Shafi have been suspended from their positions in Bersatu youth wing, Armada. Syed Saddiq is the head of Armada.

Cynthia said one can only imagine how taxpayers money entrusted to the government is being abused.

She also took Syed Saddiq to task for previously talking big about fighting corruption. 

“On November 25, 2019, Syed Saddiq vowed to resign from the cabinet if he is proven to have accepted a covert deal to award a tender for Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara (IKBN). 

“The minister had also previously asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for one of their officers to be based within the ministry. 

“Was that merely done as lip-service?” she asked.

Cynthia said there needs to be a more transparent procurement system, as laid down in the five-year National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP).

She said she felt uneasy to see contracts still being awarded “through lush and luxury temptations”.

“The covert drug-fuelled party (exposes) the dark and complex world of the procurement system practised by Barisan Nasional, where criminal activity is commonplace ... to secure cushy deals, making politicians and political parties very vulnerable to corruption,” she said.

“It has never been about merit and clean competition, and this is where PH must commit thoroughly to clean up the system, lest (it) becomes another Barisan Nasional,” she said, adding that more than RM150 billion of government spending goes into procurement.

Cynthia said the ruling pact should keep its promise of reforming public procurement and how contracts are awarded. 

She called on the government to take the NACP seriously and work towards its objectives. 

The plan was supposed to be used to eradicate political influence in the procurement process and making contract information available to the public.

“In the NACP, a comprehensive procurement policy on making the conflict of interest in procurement process available is promised to safeguard public interests and the interests of contracting parties,” she said.

However, she added, by attending the drug-fuelled party, public officials have demonstrated gross misconduct, and highlighted the lack of fair dealings in public procurement.

The graft watchdog also pressed for the legislation of procurement to protect public interest.

C4 also urged the government to bolster the Whistleblower Act and Protection of Witness Act in order to protect those who expose wrongdoing in the public and private sectors. – January 16, 2020.