Program Jejak Akar bersama KEMAS dan JKKKP Sg Daun Tengah

Program Mesra Rakyat KEMAS - Kg Tok Lah 2

Program Mesra Rakyat Anjuran KEMAS Yan dan JKKKP Kampung Dato' Lah 2 telah di adakan pada 25 Jun 2010 di surau Kg Tok Lah 2 yang baru. Ramai ibubapa serta pelajar-pelajar telah hadir untuk mendengar ceramah motivasi dan penerangan yang telah disampaikan oleh dua penceramah - Pak Su dari Kelantan dan Abe Hab yang kini bekerja di Sime Darby dan merupakan anak tempatan kampung tersebut.

Ramai juga JKKKP dari kampung-kampung berdekatan telah hadir sekali sebagai memberi sokongan kepada Abg N, Pengerusi JKKKP merangkap Ketua UMNO Cawangan kampung.

Tahniah kepada KEMAS dan JKKKP Kampung Tok Lah 2.

MACC - MOVING FORWARD

Recently, an officer from the MACC announced that MACC has, from January to April this year, successfully investigated and prosecuted 235 cases. The statistics are broken down as follows:-

CATEGORY	JAN	FEB	MAC	APR	TOTAL
CIVIL SERVANTS	45	7	28	33	113
POLITICIANS	1	1	0	0	2
PUBLIC	28	17	27	48	120
TOTAL	74	25	55	81	235

In 2009, 500 cases were investigated and prosecuted.

Amount of money that exchanged hands or reported as offered:-

RM3 to RM35,000.

Whilst I applaud the successes MACC has had this year and last, I can’t help but be disappointed with the announcement. To be frank and direct about it, I had expected more, much more from MACC.

The Government had upgraded MACC from just an Agency (Anti-Corruption Agency) to a Commission with full investigative powers and independent authority. The Government had also allocated millions of Ringgit in order to bolster up MACC’s structure and operations to ensure its effectiveness.

I also feel the Government should give priority to MACC if it needs more funds or anything else in order to achieve the Government’s objective to eradicate corruption.

However, MACC must focus or refocus in this case. The current cases prosecuted as announced are what we all call as ‘ikan bilis’ cases. Traffic summonses? Illiegal immigrants? RM3? RM35,000?

I spoke of my disappointment to a friend of mine who knows a bit more about MACC and its nature of work. I wondered why MACC has not successfully investigated the high profile cases and what had happened to other cases involving bigger sums of money.

After listening to his answers, I can accept, albeit reluctantly, the reasons for the limited success MACC has had all these while.

It seems that MACC is still understaffed. For example, due to budget constraints for 2010, they only got about 50% of what they requested for to purchase new equipment and hire new and more professionally accredited investigating officers. Corruption now is sophisticated that accountants, auditors and normal officers alone would not be able to investigate thoroughly and successfully. SPRM now needs qualified engineers, psychologists, business managers and so on to fully understand the workings and intricacies within the operational aspects of a business unit. It is no more a matter of scratching the surface and being able to find clues and evidence.

Witnesses also turn hostile and are not willing to cooperate during trials and so on. Because of the nature of investigations, suspects are allowed to roam free until prosecution. This may allow the suspect to do a lot of things including destroying evidence, intimidating the main witness and so on. In the certain cases, when the hostile witness is allowed to go home the person will destroy any evidence.

I am happy that tackling corruption is one of the Government’s NKRA. That shows the seriousness and commitment by the Government to address and eradicate corruption. Money must be spent , and I am confident Government will allocate as much as possible to MACC, to better equip and train the officers. MACC must also start hiring professionals from various backgrounds to bolster up its force. I was happy to note that MACC had conducted tests and interviews to appoint Chinese investigators and must also do for other races and languages.

The Anti-Corruption academy must also start full training, not only to its officers but also to civil servants and the public to rope them in, not as MACC officers but to be the eyes and ears for MACC.

I was happy to note my friend assured me that the board of advisors and the top officers are passionate and committed to their cause of fighting corruption.

Program Juara Rakyat Wanita UMNO Jerai - Meriah