EVERYBODY should play their role to prevent crimes involving corruption and power abuse in the country.
Recently, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) crippled a cartel that was accused of monopolising government projects and arrested seven suspects, including the 47-year-old mastermind of the cartel.
It is believed the cartel, dubbed a “project cartel”, had monopolised a total of 345 tenders involving ministries and government agencies nationwide, where the projects were said to be worth RM3.8 billion.
Quoting sources, the report said the mastermind of the cartel controlled 150 companies that were used to submit tender bids to ministries and government agencies.
The suspect had created different companies and employed individuals as company directors but he was the owner of these companies. The syndicate is said to have been operating since 2014, and was receiving help from “insiders” in the ministries and government agencies to assist the suspect’s companies to submit and secure tender bids.
The syndicate focused on facility maintenance and development projects. What is more shocking is that the leader of the cartel is said to own two helicopters, a yacht and over RM41 million worth of luxury cars and properties.
In a raid at the suspect’s house, the MACC also found RM3.5 million cash, luxury cars, including several Mercedes-Benz, a Range Rover and a Mustang GT, worth RM15.7 million. This is in addition to the RM29 million worth of properties, including a bungalow, a shop lot and an office lot, that were seized.
The time has come for us to seriously tackle the issue pertaining to corruption and power abuse in the country. People are fed up with crimes involving corruption and power abuse in the country that have been happening continuously for many years.
If we want to control and eradicate these crimes, everybody in the country must actively and constructively play their role. We cannot leave the matter solely to the police or the MACC.
Everybody must be alert of their surroundings and report any mysterious or suspicious activities to the relevant authorities instead of doing nothing or turning their doubts into worthless gossip.
There are many ways for us to prove crimes involving corruption and power abuse. One is by looking at circumstantial evidence through the sudden change in lifestyle of the suspect and their family.
Any unexplained wealth or sudden lavish lifestyle will certainly raise doubts and suspicion of a reasonable person. Many reported cases concerning corruption and power abuse in the country involved unexplained wealth or sudden lavish lifestyle by the suspects and their families.
With the existence of social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and others, the temptation of showing off becomes easier. Many of the items seized by the authorities from the suspects and their family members are luxurious items like jewellery, branded watches, cars and others that cost thousands and millions of ringgit.
There is also evidence of constant overseas trips or travelling on first or business class flights. It is impossible for any ordinary person, including a civil servant regardless of their rank, to purchase these expensive items and to fly exclusively when travelling overseas.
If individuals, including a civil servant and their families, show off their unexplained wealth or sudden lavish lifestyle, we should be brave and question their source of income. If their explanation is unsatisfactory or doubtful, we can take the matter to a higher level, by reporting it to a relevant authority to conduct a proper and formal investigation.
Unexplained wealth or sudden lavish lifestyles can also become good circumstantial evidence that can be used with other evidence to implicate a suspect for crimes they have been charged with.
At the same time, we should initiate drastic steps and make changes to our policies to deal with crimes involving corruption and power abuse more effectively. If we don’t, such crimes will continue to be committed thus affecting our country’s corruption perceptions index for years to come.
One of the most important policy changes is to make sure people who yield power to oversee government tenders and projects make their wealth known to the public.
Such a policy was first introduced during the Pakatan Harapan government era. This made it easier for the MACC to adjudicate individuals based on the initial declaration of assets made and contrast that to their lifestyle and sudden growth of wealth.
The next policy change needed is the random redistribution of staff in key areas. Staff who work in sensitive departments like procurement, finance and asset development should be frequently rotated without going through the head of departments or ministers.
This is to ensure they are not stationed too long to form a cartel. Usually the longer they stay, the more powerful they become. Such a dangerous chain must be prevented from being formed.
Another proposed solution is the total independence of the investigative body. The investigating body, or in this case the MACC, should not be under the Prime Minister’s Office, but it should be answerable to parliament, where a joint commission sits to regulate any and all actions, and to make sure all complaints received by this agency are being investigated properly and professionally.
The recent revelation of the government tender cartel puts a huge dent in the integrity of the civil service. Unless a proper and more suitable policy is in place, such a stigma will continuously loom over the nation.
We need to act now and quickly to make all necessary changes in preventing crimes involving corruption and power abuse in our country.
Dr Muzaffar Syah Mallow is associate professor, Faculty Syariah & Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, and YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman is Member of Parliament, Muar. Comment: letters@thesundaily.com
