KUALA LUMPUR – With the slew of politicians and civil servants being embroiled in corrupt and questionable activities, the government is being urged to appoint an ombudsman to monitor and probe such malfeasance involving those holding public office.
This proposal was mooted by National Patriot Association (Patriot) president Brig Gen (Rtd) Mohd Arshad Raji, who said the appointment should be done via Parliament and that the individual should be able to act without fear or favour.
“It should be granted full powers to investigate complaints against any government administration,” he said in a statement today.
“No ministry, department or agency must be allowed to conduct their ‘in-house investigation’ on all cases related to corruption and abuse of power by any of its officials. Such a practice is plain hogwash.”
Arshad’s statement comes in light of the Pandora Papers exposé, which implicates several high-profile Malaysians, including Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz and former cabinet member Tun Daim Zainuddin.
The document claims these individuals have set up offshore bank accounts in the past, although they have denied committing any crime.
Arshad said that, while there is no law restricting individuals from having offshore accounts, the high-profile individuals and unexplained amount of cash held by them have raised questions about their integrity.
“The public are rightly so alarmed by the contents of the Pandora Papers. People are asking, ‘Why do they keep their billions in off-shore banks? Are our banks not safe enough?’.
“Patriot is cognisant of the fact that the public have grown sick and tired. They are utterly fed up with the endless cases of corruption being reported daily.
“What is a growing concern is the fact that those within the ranks of the civil service are also increasingly guilty or alleged to be dabbling in corrupt practices,” he said.
Arshad also cited the recent misappropriation of seized funds by three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) personnel as another example of how individuals in power have abused their positions.
“Now, who do we trust when an agency entrusted to be the ‘watchdog’ over corruption is involved in such a dastardly criminal act?” he said.
The MACC has come under fire in Parliament over its move to investigate its own officers on this matter.
Raising the matter in the Dewan Rakyat on September 20, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo had said that the matter should be investigated by police or another independent body instead of an internal investigation.
Other than proposing for an ombudsman, Arshad said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob should also empower the public to speak up without fear against any wrongdoing of government officials.
Patriot further urged Ismail Sabri to take full control of the ministries and all officials of the government, especially at a time when the nation is fighting threatening battles on two fronts, namely the health pandemic and dire state of the economy.
Additionally, he said Ismail Sabri must not be afraid to take harsh and punitive action against non-performers, regardless of their status, even if it involves ministers and deputy ministers.
“This is not the time to seek popularity or peddle party priorities but a time for action to save the nation from going down the cesspit and getting lost in oblivion.” – The Vibes, October 13, 2021
