When it comes to enforcement and deciding to prosecute, the behavior of some of the governmental bodies is amazingly strange and utterly biased. But what’s more unacceptable is the fact that their “selective acts” had never failed to insult the intelligence of the man-in–the-street and why they persist in making themselves appear as fools and laughing-stocks with their stupid antics is beyond anyone’s comprehension.
Let’s examine some recent high-profile cases that would help illustrate my point and which also would have given the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) enough to jump to their feet and pounce on the evidently guilty parties.
Remember Tan Sri Muhd Muhammad Taib, the former Selangor Mentri Besar (MB) of the then Barisan Nasional (BN) state government?
Muhammad was nabbed in Australia carrying a briefcase full of cash amounting to A$1.2 million in Brisbane in 1996. Know what? He got away by pleading that he was ignorant of the need to declare his “wealth” to the authorities because he could not read or understand English.
The former BN strongman also had the audacity to claim that the reason he was in Australia was to go shopping.
When he returned, neither the MACC nor the IRB lifted a finger to probe how Muhammad could afford to carry cash worth a few million Malaysian Ringgit in public for shopping purpose.
Recently, another former Selangor MB Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, also from BN, admitted having built a palatial mansion that is worth millions of ringgit. Where is the probe by MACC and IRB?
The current Selangor MB Tan Sri Mohd Khalid, not from BN, was not so fortunate. He went through hell last year with the MACC’s swiftness to act over the use of state funds to purchase some cows as donations for Muslims to perform their annual religious sacrifice. The MACC also found fault with Khalid for using the state to pay for his private car’s maintenance even though the car was and still is being used for official purpose. Of course, till now, no formal charges have been filed against him. Only embarrassment caused.
In the current case of the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock, the MACC found the need to probe complaints of irregularities in the purchase of Malaysian flags for Merdeka Day amounting to about RM2,000.
And now, popping up out of the blue, is the announcement by Parliament Backbenchers Club chairman, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, that he gave a RM10 million “loan” to then MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to help the latter fund MCA’s divisional needs in the party elections.
Tiong, the Bintulu MP who is a key player in the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) fiasco, also told Malaysiakini that the rumour about him “donating” RM10 million to Ong was true.
Tiong was quoted as saying: “Ong asked me to support him. As a new leader, he needed funds for activities. We are politicians, we need funds to sponsor our activities.”
Now, was the RM10 million allegedly delivered in cash or as a “loan” or as a form of “donation”? Whichever, shouldn’t this immediately raise the suspicions of MACC or the IRB? Or is it acceptable to both the MACC and IRB, that it is normal for Malaysians to carry or give away millions in cash?
Perhaps the key reason for such selective instances to pounce by the MACC and IRB has something to do with the word spelt “B-N.”
It’s also interesting to note that Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) which is PKFZ’s turnkey contractor, is said to have owned two aircrafts with a third on order.
Hmm, by the looks of things, Malaysians have surely reached an all-time high in terms of wealth possession and the MACC and IRB somehow do not seem to think that there is anything to be suspicious about.
If you are part of “BN” I suppose one can get away with anything. But try delaying a settlement of RM300 in taxes with the IRB as an ordinary man-in-the-street and see what will happen to you in double quick time — to get you to pay up or suffer the consequences.
