MACC’s hands-off approach a step back in fight against corruption – Gobind Singh Deo

MALAYSIAN Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Datuk Seri Azam Baki says that the agency does not intend to interfere in the Royal Malaysian Police’s (PDRM) “cartel” issue because it is the department’s internal problem.

He also says that the MACC is confident with the ability and credibility of PDRM to address the issue, and that Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador had also stated that the problem could be resolved.

The IGP did not speak of a cartel alone but also about corruption. Is that an internal matter, too, which the MACC thinks can be solved internally?

If that be the case, should all departments, be they public or private, in which such cases occur just conduct internal probes to deal with it? If so, why have others been dealt with differently, probed by the MACC and then charged in court? Shouldn’t they, too, just be dealt with internally?

We have laws in this country and a complaint of taking or receiving gratification in the public or private sector comes within the purview of the MACC Act 2009. 

The MACC was primarily set up for the purpose of dealing with this problem and has been given broad powers to do so. 

Azam says he is confident that the issue can be addressed by the police, but that isn’t the point. 

It is a question of law. 

A crucial aspect of any investigation is to make sure that there is impartiality on the part of those who conduct it. This is to ensure fairness to all parties in the investigation. 

Those investigating should have no interest in the matter or be connected in any way to those who will be probed in the investigation. 

So, how can an internal probe be sufficient in this case when the case involves the police themselves? This is where the MACC comes in. 

Perhaps Azam should take legal advice from the attorney-general. This is a matter of great public importance. If we really want to clean up the police force and strengthen it by dealing with problems like these, then let us start on the right footing in the right direction. – The Vibes, March 28, 2021

Gobind Singh Deo is Puchong MP