Can such belated red flags on corruption avert doom?

Can such belated red flags on corruption avert doom?

It is “mind boggling” at times that such massive corruption is now exposed by none other Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).  What about those internal audit or the Auditor General “sort of silent” on this exposed embezzlement?

An estimated RM1.5 billion allocation by the federal government was siphoned from a ministry to implement projects in Sabah from 2009 to 2015 said Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner (Operations) Datuk Seri Azam Baki.

He said the amount was part of a RM7.5 billion government allocation which was channeled through a ministry to implement rural projects in Sabah.

“The projects were related to water, electricity and road development and some of the projects may not have been implemented properly.

So it is just tip of the iceberg as many more billions are “stolen” from various other projects worth hundreds of billions annually for some decades in the nation especially in Sabah.

However, in October 2016 MACC had declared that “only 40 percent of federal allocations for water infrastructure projects in Sabah reached the projects that the money was earmarked for, according to a Malaysiakini report. That report also stated “almost RM2billion was siphoned off from the water project in Sabah.”

So how do we reconcile the figures given by MACC, when the amount of almost RM2 billion on the water project when it is now stated that RM1.5 billion was part of RM7.5 billion for water, electricity, roads and other rural projects in Sabah.

If 60% is siphoned off as it is the norm here, then more than RM4.5 billion would have been “stolen” and where have all those money gone even for one ministry? 

I also understand that it is standard practice of implementation of all development projects that money is siphoned off  and so MACC, please provide a more appropriate figure of embezzlement of all fund allocated to Sabah for decades.

While we may have to appreciate the strenuous job of MACC despite lack of the number of staff to handle so many cases of corruptions including embezzlement as was seen in a recent department in Sabah.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) hopes the government would consider allowing the commission to employ more staff to boost its manpower.

Its chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad said MACC manpower currently stood at roughly 2,100 officers when ideally it should be 5,000.

"MACC has conducted a study and we found that ideally we need at least 5,000 personnel and this has been approved by the government in 2008.

Given the worsening scenario of corruption over the recent decades, MACC should have all the resources since 2008 to put the nation on proper footing.

Nevertheless from my personal experience dealing with MACC (ACA prior 2008) since 2005, I believe MACC is very selective in handling cases from the whistleblowers.  I had lodged more than 30 Police Reports and many of which had been referred to MACC for attention and action, but nothing was forthcoming.

I also wondering what the Auditor General had been doing for the massive profligacy including corruption and mismanagement of public fund and yet Sabah has been classified as very good financial management for some years especially so much money had been lost in the implementation of projects.  Now that MACC has such glaring exposure, I hope Auditor General and Treasury would review its performance and where they have failed to curb such “evil” development in uncontrollable leakages.

MACC should also tell us where have all the confiscated/frozen fund and assets of millions or even billions of Ringgit gone to from the corrupted officials?  

Another unusual development is that isn’t it the rural rail infrastructure and service in Sabah part of the former Minister of Ministry of Rural development?  This ex-minister pledged to improve this if come to power in GE14 after encountering some travel disturbances.  Was not he aware of this earlier as such complaints are rampant in the mass media and social media? Was it another job approved but not properly implemented by his ministry?

On the national/international front, almost RM1trillion of national debts had accumulated over the decades with the accelerated amount in recent decade.  Isn’t it the duty of various regulatory authorities tasked with overview of financial development to ensure such debts are justified and repayable within our means?  Otherwise, who are going to repay such debts without burden on the people already stretched to limits unbearable in rising daily living costs?

Against such massive national debts, we have little/none at all of sovereign fund as reserve to help the nation in financial crisis already in our midst.

The people must speak out now albeit a bit too late now and the spiral of national debts is still obvious with many major financial commitments we can ill afford.

Raise the red flag now or we are all doomed.

Joshua Y. C. Kong 11/10/2017