Securities Commission is the fifth casualty of the Azam-gate, losing all credibility and legitimacy  – we must not allow  more casualties of Azam-gate whether  Parliament,  Parliament Speaker, MoU,  Parliamentary Select Committees, the Attorney-General  or the Police!

(Versi BM)

Azam-gate has claimed another casualty – the Securities Commission – which has lost all credibility and legitimacy as the fifth victim after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC); the MACC Chief Commissioner, Azam Baki; the Cabinet and the Prime Minister Ismail Sabri.

We must not allow more casualties of Azam-gate whether Parliament, Parliament Speaker, the confidence-supply-reform (CSR) memorandum of understanding (MoU), Parliamentary Select Committees, the Attorney-General or the Police!

The Cabinet yesterday had proved me right – that only an imbecile will regard the Securities Commission statement on a Thaipusam public holiday on Tuesday evening as fully clearing the MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki of any breach of the law and a declaration that Azam was therefore innocent.

The Ministers proved that they had done more than the proverbial three monkeys – ears that hear not, eyes that see not and mouths that speak not – by going one step further, to justify the simply unjustifiable!

Hence no immediate post-Cabinet announcement of what the Cabinet decided on Azam-gate, but more arm-twisting until a second Securities Commission statement was released at about 6 pm contradicting its statement 24 hours earlier from the SC “not able to conclusively establish that a breach under Section 25(4) SICDA has occurred” to “the SC arrived at the decision that was no breach” of Section 25(4) of SICDA 1991.

How the SC could perform a miracle within 24 hours to transition from “not able to conclusively establish a breach” to “arrived at the decision that there was no breach” is in a different realm altogether and need not tarry us here.

What should concern us is that Azam-gate has claimed another casualty in the ever-widening scandal, which has again made Malaysia the object of international odium and infamy.

One thing is absolutely clear – Azam Baki has lost all authority, legitimacy and credibility to be MACC Chief Commissioner as he cannot be the chief example of integrity and accountability in the public service!

Can Azam Baki be “whiter than white” on integrity and accountability after being enmeshed in Azam-gate?

The second Securities Commission statement has enmeshed Azam Baki in more scandals and controversies – like his own statement that his trading account was used by his brother to acquire shares in two companies in 2015 and that he had no interest in the matter.

I can imagine that Azam is going through tremendous pressure from the Azam-gate, but can Azam imagine the greater tremendous pressure that the MACC is undergoing at the same time?

If he loves MACC and wants the MACC to play its statutory role “to promote the integrity and accountability of public and private sector administration by constituting an independent and accountable anti-corruption body” (MACC Act 2009), he has only one option open to him – to resign or go on leave until the Azam-gate is fully investigated and he can continue to be a example of integrity and accountability in public and private sector administration and not to drag more agencies and institutions into public odium and infamy – national and international.

The Prime Minister has finally broken his silence on the Azam-gate when he said late last night that the opposition should accept the decision of the Securities Commission (SC), which cleared top graft-buster Azam Baki of any wrongdoing in his ownership of corporate shares.

Is Ismail Sabri so obtuse that he cannot see that the Securities Commission’s second statement had sparked more controversies undermining the integrity and accountability of more officials, agencies and institutions?

I have been asked whether the Azam Baki debacle would lead to the end of the confidence-supply- reform (CSR) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and the four Pakatan Harapan leaders on Sept. 13, 2021.

Whether the CSR MoU should be ended before July 2022 should be based on whether the CSR MoU terms are being complied with and whether the Ismail Sabri government has crossed “red lines” to make it impossible for the continuation of the CSR MoU.

The CSR MoU is not an endorsement of the Perikatan Nasional Government which varies fundamentally from the vision of the Pakatan Harapan parties of PKR, DAP, Amanah and UPKO for a united Malaysia, the PH support of the nation-building principles embedded in the Malaysian Constitution 1963 and the Rukun Negara 1970 highlighting the need for a national consensus that Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation where there is no room for hegemony by any race or religion, the system of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy which upholds the doctrine of separation of powers, the rule of law, spiritual and moral values as abhorring and eliminating corruption and abuses of power, respect for human rights, press freedom, good governance and an effective and efficient government.

The contents of the CSR MoU is a public document and there are no secret clauses.

If any party to the CSR MoU fails to comply with its terms, then either party is entitled to end the MoU.

For instance, I understand that the Ismail Sabri government does not want to comply with one of the important terms of the CSR MoU, and if so, this will trigger a situation where one of the parties will have to consider whether there is any purpose in continuing the MoU.

It has been said that there had been no CSR MoU for the first half-a-century of the nation and that Pakatan Harapan parties have ceased to be Opposition parties as they have been co-opted by the Ismail Sabri government.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

No CSR MoU was possible in the first half-a-century of the nation because Malaysia was under the rule of a political hegemon – UMNO – which increasingly became more high-handed, dictatorial, racialistic and corrupt over the decades until Malaysia suffered the international infamy with the 1MDB scandal which was described by a US Attorney-General at the time as “kleptocracy at its worst”.

Critics of the CSR MoU failed to realise that it is the historic decision of the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 which ended the UMNO political hegemony which produced conditions for the CSR MoU.

It was because Ismail Sabri was the weakest Prime Minister in the nation’s history that produced the conditions that made the CSR MoU possible.

Of course, we should not become slaves of the CSR MoU.

Five conditions were among the factors which made the CSR MoU possible and necessary:

1. The end of UMNO political hegemony on May 9, 2018 where no single political party enjoys a simple majority in Parliament and which created a situation where CSR MOU was feasible. The MOU was unheard-of in the past six decades because UMNO exercised political hegemony.

2. The CSR MoU stopped the PH’s numbers of parliamentarians being used in the “Game of Thrones” of Government parties in the conspiracy to be Prime Minister, as whatever the combination and permutation, Anwar Ibrahim would not be named Prime Minister whether by PN or BN before the 15th GE.

3. The CSR MoU was to unite the efforts of all Malaysians to end the exponential increase of Covid-19 cases and deaths. There were 24,599 Covid-19 cases and 393 fatalities on August 26, 2021, five days after Ismail Sabri was sworn in as the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia, If this exponential daily increase of Covid-19 cases and deaths had not been stopped, we might have cumulative totals of five to 10 million Covid-19 cases and 100,000 – 200,000 Covid-19 deaths at the end of 2021 instead of 2.75 million Covid-19 cases and 31,500 Covid-19 deaths on Dec. 31, 2021.

4. Pakatan Harapan insisted that the PN government allocate RM45 billion to help Malaysians affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

5. A minimal political consensus for the start of institutional and parliamentary reforms in the country.

It was agreed in the CSR MoU that there must be parliamentary reforms like the establishment of more parliamentary select committees and to amend the parliamentary standing orders to make the parliamentary select committees work meaningfully.

Azam-gate will be a test case for the CSR MoU whether the parliamentary special select committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department can function meaningfully.

I am in rare agreement with former Prime Minister, Najib Razak, who had brought Malaysia to the infamy of a kleptocracy, that we have received another fatal blow in our attempt to buck-up to achieve the status of a world-class great nation before Malaysia’s Centennial in 2063 – the decision of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from the US and Tsinghua University of China to choose Indonesia and not Malaysia to set up a joint university campus.

We seem to continue in the downward spiral to a kakistocracy after becoming a kleptocracy – as recently illustrated by the MIT-Tsinghua University decision, Azam-gate, the floods disaster and Malaysia’s poor performance in the two-year Covid-19 pandemic.

Are we heading to be a failed state in the next few decades?

What is the stand of UMNO, Bersatu and PAS on Azam-gate?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 20th January 2022)

Suruhanjaya Sekuriti adalah mangsa kelima skandal Azam, hilang semua kredibiliti dan legitimasi – kita tidak boleh membenarkan lebih banyak terkorban akibat skandal Azam, tidak kira Parlimen, Speaker Parlimen, MoU, Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen, Peguam Negara atau Polis!

Skandal Azam telah mengorban satu lagi mangsa – Suruhanjaya Sekuriti – yang telah kehilangan semua kredibiliti dan legitimasi setelah menjadi mangsa kelima selepas Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM); Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM, Azam Baki; Kabinet dan Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri.

Kita tidak boleh membiarkan skandal Azam ini mengorban lebih banyak entiti tidak kira Parlimen, Speaker Parlimen, memorandum persefahaman (MoU) keyakinan-pembekalan-reformasi (CSR), Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen, Peguam Negara atau Polis!

Kabinet semalam telah membuktikan yang saya betul – bahawa hanya orang dungu yang akan menganggap kenyataan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti pada cuti umum Thaipusam pada petang Selasa sebagai membersihkan sepenuhnya Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Azam Baki daripada sebarang pelanggaran undang-undang dan pengisytiharan bahawa Azam tidak bersalah.

Para menteri membuktikan bahawa mereka telah melakukan lebih teruk berbanding tiga monyet bijak – telinga tidak mendengar, mata tidak melihat dan mulut tidak bercakap – dengan melangkah lebih jauh, membenarkan perkara yang tidak wajar!

Oleh itu, tiada pengumuman segera selepas mesyuarat Kabinet tentang apa yang diputuskan oleh mereka berhubung skandal Azam, tetapi lebih banyak berbelit-belit sehingga kenyataan kedua Suruhanjaya Sekuriti dikeluarkan kira-kira jam 6 petang yang bercanggah dengan kenyataannya 24 jam sebelumnya; daripada “tidak dapat memastikan secara konklusif bahawa pelanggaran di bawah Seksyen 25(4) SICDA telah berlaku” kepada “SC mencapai keputusan bahawa tiada pelanggaran Seksyen 25(4) SICDA 1991”.

Bagaimana SC boleh melakukan keajaiban dalam masa 24 jam untuk beralih daripada “tidak dapat mewujudkan pelanggaran secara muktamad” kepada “sampai pada keputusan bahawa tiada pelanggaran” adalah sangat pelik.

Apa yang patut kita bimbangkan ialah skandal ini telah mengorbankan satu lagi mangsa yang sekali lagi memburukkan nama Malaysia di mata dunia.

Satu perkara yang jelas – Azam Baki telah kehilangan semua kuasa, legitimasi dan kredibiliti untuk menjadi Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM kerana jelas bahawa beliau tidak layak untuk menjadi tokoh utama integriti dan akauntabiliti dalam perkhidmatan awam!

Bolehkah Azam Baki mengembalikan integriti dan akauntabilitinya selepas terperangkap dalam skandalnya?

Kenyataan kedua daripada Suruhanjaya Sekuriti telah mengundang lebih banyak skandal dan kontroversi membabitkan Azam Baki – seperti kenyataan Azam sendiri bahawa akaun pelaburannya telah digunakan oleh adiknya untuk membeli saham dalam dua syarikat pada 2015 dan bahawa beliau tidak mempunyai kepentingan dalam hal berkenaan.

Saya boleh bayangkan bahawa Azam sedang menghadapi tekanan yang luar biasa, tetapi bolehkah Azam bayangkan tekanan yang lebih hebat yang sedang dialami oleh SPRM pada masa yang sama?

Jika beliau menyayangi SPRM dan mahu SPRM memainkan peranannya “untuk menggalakkan integriti dan akauntabiliti pentadbiran sektor awam dan swasta dengan membentuk badan pencegahan rasuah yang bebas dan bertanggungjawab” (Akta SPRM 2009), beliau hanya mempunyai satu pilihan – letak jawatan atau bercuti sehingga beliau disiasat sepenuhnya dan beliau boleh terus menjadi contoh integriti dan akauntabiliti dalam pentadbiran sektor awam dan swasta dan bukan untuk mengheret lebih banyak agensi dan institusi ke dalam kancah kebencian dan fitnah sama ada di peringkat nasional mahupun antarabangsa.

Perdana Menteri akhirnya membuka mulut berhubung skandal Azam apabila beliau berkata lewat malam tadi bahawa pembangkang harus menerima keputusan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti (SC), yang membersihkan Azam Baki daripada sebarang salah laku dalam pemilikan saham syarikat korporat.

Adakah Ismail Sabri terlalu dungu sehingga tidak dapat melihat bahawa kenyataan kedua Suruhanjaya Sekuriti telah mencetuskan lebih banyak kontroversi yang menjejaskan integriti dan akauntabiliti lebih ramai pegawai, agensi dan institusi?

Saya telah ditanya sama ada kemelut Azam Baki akan membawa kepada berakhirnya Memorandum Persefahaman (MoU) keyakinan-pembekalan-reformasi (CSR) yang ditandatangani antara Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri dan empat pemimpin Pakatan Harapan pada 13 September 2021.

Sama ada MoU CSR perlu ditamatkan sebelum Julai 2022 harus berdasarkan sama ada syarat MoU CSR dipatuhi dan sama ada kerajaan Ismail Sabri telah bertindak melampaui batas sehingga menyukarkan pelaksanaan MoU CSR diteruskan.

MoU CSR bukanlah suatu bentuk pengesahan terhadap Kerajaan Perikatan Nasional yang secara asasnya berbeza daripada visi parti-parti dalam Pakatan Harapan iaitu PKR, DAP, Amanah dan UPKO untuk melihat sebuah Malaysia bersatu, sokongan PH terhadap prinsip pembinaan negara yang terkandung dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia 1963 dan Rukun Negara 1970 menekankan perlunya konsensus nasional bahawa Malaysia adalah sebuah negara berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama dan budaya di mana tiada ruang untuk hegemoni oleh mana-mana kaum atau agama, sistem Raja Berperlembagaan dan demokrasi berparlimen yang menjunjung doktrin pengasingan kuasa, kedaulatan undang-undang, nilai kerohanian dan nilai moral yang menolak dan menghapuskan rasuah dan salah guna kuasa, menghormati hak asasi manusia, kebebasan akhbar, tadbir urus yang baik dan kerajaan yang berkesan dan cekap.

Kandungan MoU CSR adalah dokumen awam dan tiada klausa rahsia.

Sekiranya mana-mana pihak dalam MoU CSR gagal mematuhi syaratnya, maka mana-mana pihak berhak untuk menamatkan MoU tersebut.

Sebagai contoh, saya faham bahawa kerajaan Ismail Sabri tidak mahu mematuhi salah satu syarat penting dalam MoU CSR, dan jika ya, ini akan mencetuskan keadaan di mana salah satu pihak perlu mempertimbangkan sama ada terdapat sebarang keperluan dan tujuan dalam meneruskan MoU.

Dikatakan bahawa tidak wujud sebarang MoU CSR dalam setengah abad pertama negara ini terbentuk dan parti Pakatan Harapan telah tidak lagi menjadi parti Pembangkang kerana mereka telah diserap ke dalam kerajaan Ismail Sabri.

Ini tidak benar sama sekali.

MoU CSR tidak wujud dalam tempoh setengah abad pertama penubuhan negara kerana Malaysia berada di bawah pemerintahan hegemoni politik UMNO yang diktator, perkauman dan korup selama beberapa dekad sehingga Malaysia menderita di peringkat antarabangsa dengan skandal 1MDB yang disifatkan oleh Peguam Negara AS pada masa itu sebagai “kleptokrasi paling teruk”.

Pengkritik MoU CSR gagal menyedari bahawa keputusan bersejarah Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2018 yang menamatkan hegemoni politik UMNO dan seterusnya memaksa pelaksanaan MoU CSR.

Ismail Sabri adalah Perdana Menteri paling lemah dalam sejarah negara sehinggakan MoU CSR itu dilaksanakan.

Sudah tentu, kita tidak sepatutnya menjadi hamba kepada MoU CSR.

Lima peristiwa yang membolehkan MoU CSR itu wujud dan diperlukan:

1. Berakhirnya hegemoni politik UMNO pada 9 Mei 2018 dan tidak ada mana-mana parti yang mempunyai majoriti mudah di Parlimen, wujudlah satu situasi di mana MOU CSR ini diperlukan. MOU ini merupakan satu perkara yang tidak pernah didengari sebelum ini dalam enam dekad sejarah negara kerana hegemoni politik UMNO.

2. Kita berjaya menghentikan angka-angka Ahli Parlimen PH di Parlimen daripada digunakan dalam “Perebutan Kuasa” parti-parti kerajaan untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri kerana tidak kiralah apa pun kombinasinya, PN atau BN tidak akan sama sekali menamakan Anwar Ibrahim sebagai Perdana Menteri.

3. MOU CSR ini adalah usaha untuk menyatukan rakyat Malaysia untuk menghentikan peningkatan mendadak jangkitan dan kematian akibat Covid-19. Terdapat 24,599 kes dan 393 kematian pada 26 Ogos 2021, lima hari selepas Ismail Sabri mengangkat sumpah sebagai Perdana Menteri. Sekiranya trend ini berterusan, kita mungkin akan mencapai sejumlah lima ke 10 juta kes Covid-19 terkumpul dan 100,000 – 200,000 kematian akibat Covid-19 menjelang 31 Disember, dan bukannya 2.75 juta kes dan 31,500 kematian yang dicatatkan.

4. Pakatan Harapan mengesa kerajaan PN memperuntukkan RM45 bilion untuk membantu rakyat Malaysia yang terjejas akibat pandemik Covid-19.

5. Konsensus politik yang minimum untuk permulaan reformasi institusi di negara ini.

Telah dipersetujui dalam MoU CSR bahawa perlu ada reformasi parlimen seperti penubuhan lebih banyak jawatankuasa pilihan parlimen dan untuk meminda perintah tetap parlimen untuk menjadikan jawatankuasa pilihan parlimen berfungsi dengan lebih bermakna.

Skandal Azam akan menjadi ujian bagi MoU CSR sama ada jawatankuasa pilihan khas parlimen mengenai agensi-agensi di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri boleh berfungsi secara bermakna.

Saya jarang bersetuju dengan mantan Perdana Menteri, Najib Razak, yang telah membawa Malaysia kepada keburukan kleptokrasi, bahawa kita telah menerima satu lagi tamparan hebat dalam percubaan kita untuk bertahan bagi mencapai status negara hebat bertaraf dunia sebelum Ulang tahun ke-100 Malaysia pada 2063 – keputusan Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) dari AS dan Tsinghua University of China memilih Indonesia dan bukan Malaysia untuk menubuhkan kampus universiti bersama.

Kita nampaknya terus terjerumus ke dalam kancah kakistokrasi selepas menjadi kleptokrasi – seperti digambarkan baru-baru ini oleh keputusan Universiti MIT-Tsinghua, skandal Azam, bencana banjir dan prestasi buruk Malaysia dalam pandemik Covid-19 selama dua tahun.

Adakah kita akan menjadi negara yang gagal dalam beberapa dekad akan datang?

Apakah pendirian UMNO, Bersatu dan PAS mengenai skandal Azam?

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Khamis, 20 Januari 2022)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 20 January 2022, 7:35 am and is filed under
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Have we got a “lawless” MACC Chief Commissioner who is subject to no law of the land, not even MACC Act 2009, and also not answerable to Parliament?

Have Malaysians got a “lawless” Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, who is subject to no law of the land, not even to the MACC Act 2009, and also not even answerable to Parliament?

This is what the MACC Chief Commissioner, Azam Baki is behaving ever since serious  conflict-of-interest allegations were made against him, in particular after academician Edmund Terence Gomez resigned as a member of MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel at the end of last month.

I would advise Azam Baki to read the MACC Act 2009 thoroughly because Parliament intended to have an independent  MACC Chief Commissioner not subject to Executive influence or interference, but never a MACC Chief Commissioner who is above the law, including the MACC Act 2009.

What is most tragic is that the Azam-gate which has been hogging the news for the past three weeks will finally become a test of the effectiveness of the ninth Prime Minister of Malaysia, but Ismail Sabri seems either to be blissfully aware or completely impotent to assert the supremacy of the rule of law in Malaysia.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, January 21, 2022)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 21 January 2022, 7:33 pm and is filed under
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When can Prime Minister Ismail Sabri catch up with Malaysians who are now  worried about the swirling scandal involving the MACC Chief Commissioner Azam Baki while he is still only  seemingly concerned about the floods disasters last month

(Versi BM)

When can the Prime Minister Ismail Sabri catch up with Malaysians who are now worried about the swirling scandal involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Azam Baki while he is still only seemingly concerned about the floods disasters last month.

The one-day Special Parliament on the floods disasters yesterday did not prove that Ismail is really concerned about the floods disasters, because he did not return to Parliament in the winding up of the Special Parliament yesterday.

Can Ismail Sabri tell Malaysians what he was doing that was more important than returning to Parliament in the winding-up of the Special Parliament on the floods disasters?

What was proved yesterday was that Malaysia has a Prime Minister who is very slow to respond to crisis facing the country.

What is Ismail Sabri’s position on the No. 1 crisis in the country – the Azam-gate – which had been the top news in the country for more than three weeks?

Does the Prime Minister really believe Azam Baki – whether he lied or not, whether the Securities Commission has really cleared him or not, whether his case had been referred to the Attorney-General or not or whether he had committed contempt against Parliament or not – is the best example in the public service of integrity, probity and accountability?

If so, something is very rotten with Malaysia!

How did Malaysia come to such a sorry pass in half a century of nationhood and after nine Prime Ministers, beginning life with such promise that Bapa Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman dreamt of Malaysia as “a haven of peace, harmony and happiness” and “a beacon of light in a difficult and distracted world”.

In the past half a century, Malaysia has failed to be “a beacon of light”: to Malaysians, how could we be a “beacon of light” to the world?

From nearly becoming a “tiger” economy, we have seen one nation after another overtaking us – Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam.

Are we to continue in this trajectory of national decline in the coming decades with more countries behind us overtaking Malaysia like Indonesia and the Philippines?

What is being done to buck up for Malaysia to take its place as a world-class great nation instead of a being a sick nation punching below its weight and whose ambassadorial appointments are rejected by other countries, something never happened before?

This is why Malaysians are concerned about the Azam-gate crisis, because Malaysians do not want the country to relapse to a kleptocracy and corruption so rampant as to destroy Malaysia’s potential to recover to be a world-class great nation!

Malaysia has a jumbo-sized Cabinet, validating an international study that on average, the more developed a country is, the smaller the cabinet.

We have Ministers with astounding intellectual prowess who could see lions in the Malaysia and spout strange theory that orang-utans in Malaysia would “kill you first” when they encounter human beings, rather than vice versa.

There are others who think that corruption is no offence provided the corrupt is a Muslim.

In the House of Commons this week, a Conservative Member of Parliament crossed the floor of the House of Commons to sit with Keir Starmer’s Labour Party MPs, declaring in a letter to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that he was “incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves”.

Nobody in UK called him a “frog” who had hopped parties because was prepared to be sold to the highest bidder in the market-place, as would be in the case in Malaysia – accepting his party defection as one based on political principles and not monetary self-interest.

Malaysia has a long way to go to buck up to join the ranks of the world-class great nations instead of the band of mediocre and failed nations forever in decline because of kleptocracy and kakistocracy.

What is Malaysia’s fate on its Centennial in 2063?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 21st January 2022)

Bilakah Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri yang hanya sekarang kelihatan peduli mengenai bencana banjir bulan lepas akan menyedari yang rakyat kini sedang bimbang mengenai skandal tentang Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Azam Baki

Bilakah Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri yang hanya sekarang kelihatan peduli mengenai bencana banjir bulan lepas akan menyedari yang rakyat kini sedang bimbang mengenai skandal tentang Ketua Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), Azam Baki.

Sidang Parlimen Khas sehari mengenai bencana banjir semalam tidak membuktikan Ismail benar-benar prihatin dengan bencana banjir, kerana beliau tidak datang kembali ke Parlimen untuk penggulungan Sidang Khas semalam.

Bolehkah Ismail Sabri memberitahu rakyat Malaysia apa yang beliau lakukan yang lebih penting berbanding dengan hadir semula ke Parlimen untuk penggulungan Sidang Khas mengenai bencana banjir?

Apa yang dibuktikan semalam ialah Malaysia mempunyai seorang Perdana Menteri yang sangat lambat bertindak balas terhadap kemelut yang dihadapi negara.

Apakah pendirian Ismail Sabri mengenai krisis No. 1 di negara ini – skandal Azam Baki – yang menjadi berita utama dalam negara selama lebih tiga minggu?

Adakah Perdana Menteri benar-benar percaya kepada Azam Baki – sama ada dia telah berbohong atau tidak, sama ada Suruhanjaya Sekuriti telah benar-benar membersihkan namanya atau tidak, sama ada kesnya telah dirujuk kepada Peguam Negara atau tidak atau sama ada dia telah melakukan penghinaan terhadap Parlimen atau tidak – adakah beliau ini contoh terbaik yang berintegriti, berwibawa dan bertanggungjawab dalam perkhidmatan awam?

Jika ya, ada suatu perkara yang amat rosak dengan Malaysia!

Bagaimanakah Malaysia kini berada di satu peringkat yang amat menyedihkan selepas setengah abad penubuhan negara, selepas bertukar ganti sembilan orang Perdana Menteri, sebuah negara yang memulakan hidup dengan impian sebagai “tempat selamat penuh keamanan, keharmonian, dan kegembiraan” dan juga sebagai “sinar cahaya dalam dunia yang sukar dan terganggu” seperti yang dicitakan oleh Bapa Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Dalam setengah abad yang lepas, Malaysia telah gagal menjadi “sinar cahaya” kepada rakyat Malaysia, bagaimanakah kita boleh menjadi “sinar cahaya” kepada seluruh dunia?

Daripada hampir menjadi sebuah “harimau” ekonomi, kita telah melihat satu demi satu negara mengatasi kita – Taiwan, Korea Selatan, Singapura dan Vietnam.

Adakah kita akan meneruskan trajektori kemerosotan negara ini pada dekad akan datang dengan lebih banyak negara di belakang kita mengatasi Malaysia seperti Indonesia dan Filipina?

Apakah usaha yang sedang dilakukan untuk menyokong usaha Malaysia mengambil tempatnya sebagai negara hebat bertaraf dunia dan bukannya negara sakit yang membongkok di bawah beratnya sendiri, di mana pelantikan dutanya ditolak oleh negara lain, sesuatu yang tidak pernah berlaku sebelum ini?

Inilah sebabnya mengapa rakyat Malaysia bimbang tentang krisis Azam ini, kerana rakyat Malaysia tidak mahu negara itu kembali menjadi sebuah kleptokrasi dengan rasuah yang berleluasa sehingga memusnahkan potensi Malaysia untuk pulih menjadi negara hebat bertaraf dunia!

Malaysia mempunyai Kabinet bersaiz gergasi, mengesahkan kajian antarabangsa bahawa secara purata, semakin maju sesebuah negara, semakin kecil kabinetnya.

Kami mempunyai Menteri-menteri dengan kehebatan intelektual yang mengagumkan yang boleh melihat singa di Malaysia dan mengeluarkan teori aneh bahawa orang-utan di Malaysia akan “membunuh anda dahulu” apabila mereka bertemu dengan manusia, dan bukannya sebaliknya.

Malah, ada juga yang berpendapat bahawa rasuah tidak menjadi kesalahan dengan syarat yang melakukan rasuah adalah orang Islam.

Di Dewan Rakyat United Kingdom minggu ini, seorang Ahli Parlimen Konservatif melintas lantai Dewan Rakyat untuk duduk bersama Ahli Parlimen Parti Buruh Keir Starmer, mengisytiharkan dalam surat kepada Perdana Menteri Britain Boris Johnson bahawa dia “tidak layak untuk memimpin dan menjadi kerajaan untuk negara ini”.

Tidak ada sesiapa pun di UK yang memanggilnya “katak” yang melompat parti kerana kepentingan sendiri, berbeza dengan situasi di Malaysia – sebaliknya orang ramai menerima pertukaran partinya sebagai satu tindakan berasaskan prinsip politik dan bukan kepentingan harta benda peribadi.

Malaysia masih mempunyai perjalanan yang panjang sebelum kita dapat menyertai kumpulan negara-negara hebat bertaraf dunia dan bukannya untuk kekal sebagai sebuah negara yang tiada kehebatan yang akan terus gagal akibat kleptokrasi dan kakistokrasi.

Apakah nasib Malaysia menjelang ulang tahun ke-100 negara pada tahun 2063?

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP untuk Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat, 21 Januari 2022)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 21 January 2022, 7:42 am and is filed under
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Call on IGP Acryl Sani to ensure that the police  facilitate and not  supress an anti-corruption  demonstration against Azam today or  Malaysia will doubly  become an international laughing stock

I call on the Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to ensure that the police facilitate and not suppress the  anti-corruption demonstration against Azam Baki today  or Malaysia will doubly become an international laughing stock, viz

Firstly, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Azam Baki precipitating an anti-corruption demonstration because he has not been able to be the prime example of integrity, probity and accountability in the public service, refusing to comply with the MACC Act 2009 as well as to be answerable to Parliament; and

Secondly, the Police suppressing the anti-corruption demonstration when the police should be facilitating it. In fact,  the MACC should be leading such an anti-corruption demonstration in keeping with the objective of the  MACC Act 2009 “to promote integrity and accountability” as stated in Section 2 on the “principal objects” of the MACC Act.

Malaysians will like  to know where in the world is there an anti-corruption demonstration against the head of the country’s anti-corruption agency – which is a reflection of the parlous state of corruption in the country.

This is unheard-of and simply inconceivable and yet the Malaysian Police is intent on suppressing this anti-corruption demonstration instead of facilitating it.

Malaysia has enough instances where it became the laughing stock of the world – with  a convicted criminal on corruption opening an international conference and a convicted criminal on corruption hoping to return in the 15th General Election as the 10th Prime Minister  of Malaysia – both of which make nonsense of the MACC Act 2009 to promote integrity and accountability.

It is time that the Malaysian Police should transform itself from an instrument of state repression and to be the guardian of democracy, human rights and an anti-corruption campaign.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, January 22, 2022)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 22 January 2022, 8:50 am and is filed under
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Has Malaysia lost control of Covid-19 pandemic after the CSR MoU has successfully ended the exponential increase of Covid-19 cases and deaths and  reduced daily Covid-19 new cases from 24,599 cases to  2,641 cases and daily Covid-19 fatalities from 592 to 9 deaths?

Yesterday, daily new Covid-19 infections breached the 4,000-mark for the first time this year after the Ministry of Health logged 4,046 new cases.

The latest figures has brought the cumulative total of Covid-19 cases in the country since the start of the pandemic, to 2,824,973 cases, ranking Malaysia as No. 22 in the world, with cumulative total of 31,869 Covid-19 deaths – with 6,247  “Brought-in-Dead” cases.

Has Malaysia lost control of Covid-19 pandemic after the confidence-supply-reform (CSR) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and the four Pakatan Harapan leaders last September had successfully  ended the exponential increase of Covid-19 cases and deaths and  reduced daily Covid-19 new cases from 24,599 cases to  2,641 cases and daily Covid-19 fatalities from 592 to 9 deaths?

If not for the  CSR MoU, we might have ended 2021 with five to 10 million Covid-19 cases and 100,000 – 200,000 Covid-19 deaths instead of 2.75 million Covid-19 cases and 31,500 Covid-19 deaths on Dec. 31, 2021.

But one thing is clear – it is going to take a long time to return to pre-Emergency days as there were 2,232 daily new Covid-19 cases and four Covid-19 deaths on January 11, 2021 when an emergency was declared to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

I have been tracking the daily new  Covid-19 cases and deaths between Malaysia and Indonesia for the past six months, and it pained me to see Malaysia losing out to Indonesia on both counts since last September.

Indonesia has been reporting triple-digit figures for daily new Covid-19 cases for the last three months, even falling one day to double-digit figure of 92 daily new cases on 26th December 2021, but Malaysia had been struggling to keep below 4,000 daily new cases for the past month and the lowest it recorded for  daily new Covid-19 cases was on 2,641 cases on January 11, 2022.

Malaysia did even worse than Indonesia on the daily Covid-19 fatality front – as Indonesia had been consistently recording single-digit daily fatality figures for the past month and sporadically for 16 days since 13th November, while for Malaysia, we have been recording double-digit daily death figures except for one day when we reported single-digit fatality figure of nine deaths on January 18, 2022.

What have the Health Minister and the Health Director-General got to say for Malaysia losing out to Indonesia in the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, when Indonesia has more than eight times the population of Malaysia?

The Health Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin, has warned of a possible surge in Covid-19 cases between February and March based on his ministry’s projection that took into account the growing prevalence of Omicron cases.

He said Omicron will invariably surpass Delta as the primary Covid-19 variant of concern here as nine in 10 cases arriving in the country were of the former.

He said: ;“What we are seeing, however, is that the cases are not serious or as serious as Delta.

“So, we have not seen a corresponding rise in hospitalisations, certainly not in deaths and also in admission to intensive care units.”

Khairy said the ministry’s assumption at the moment was that Omicron will create a new wave of cases that would not necessarily overwhelm the country’s healthcare system unlike with Delta last year.

Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to the US President, has told the World

Economic Forum in Davos that it is still too early to predict whether Omicron’s rapid spread will help push coronavirus from the pandemic phase to a more manageable endemic phase, where the disease will have a  constant presence in a population but does not affect an alarmingly large number of people or disrupt society, as typically seen in a pandemic.

This a question which Malaysians are waiting for an answer.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, 22nd January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 22 January 2022, 8:01 am and is filed under
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“Tangkap Azam Baki” demonstration today reignited hope that Malaysia need not be on the trajectory of decline in past half-a-century and that Malaysia can recover and rise again to become a  world-class great nation

Firstly, I want to congratulate the Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani for the police facilitating and not suppressing the anti-corruption demonstration against Azam Baki today  for it proved that the  Malaysian Police can transform itself from an instrument of state repression  to be the guardian of democracy, human rights and anti-corruption campaigns.

Secondly, I want to equally congratulate the youths of Malaysia, regardless of race, religion or politics who could unite on an anti-corruption platform to peacefully articulate national aspirations for a clean,  honest and efficient government which upholds integrity, probity and accountability.

In fact, I believe the “Tangkap Azam Baki” demonstration, which reignited hope that Malaysia need not be on the trajectory of decline in the past half-a-century, losing out to one nation after another, and that Malaysia can recover and rise again to become a world-class great nation.

It is one of three critical national events in the last four years – the first being the 14th General Election of May 9, 2018 which ended UMNO political hegemony and the second the confidence-supply-reform (CSR) memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Prime Minister Ismail Sabri and the Pakatan Harapan leaders on Sept. 134, 2021. The third is the “Tangkap Azam Baki” demonstration which united all idealistic and patriotic  Malaysians youths on 22nd January 2022.

This is in contrast to the three most odious and infamous events in Malaysian history in the past four years –  the shameless Sheraton Move conspiracy on 23rd February 2020 which undemocratically, unconstitutionally and illegitimately toppled an elected government with a mandate of five years and returned Malaysia to the trajectory towards a kleptocracy, kakistocrfacy and a failed state;  the Emergency declared on 11th January 2021 allegedly to combat the Covid-19 pandemic but really to prop up the Muhyiddin backdoor government and the Special Parliament on January 20, 2022 which neither offered a satisfactory explanation for the “once-in-a-century” floods disasters in December 2021 nor dealt with the No. 1 national crisis of the day, the Azam-gate.

Azam Baki should immediately resign as MACC Chief Commissioner  whatever the facts of the case (and Azam Baki has refused to allow these facts to surface by appearing before the Parliamentary Special Select Committees and other committees), as  he has lost the confidence of the people to have the integrity, probity and accountability to be the MACC Chief Commissioner.

Or does Azam want to wait until the “Tangkap Azam Baki” is duplicated all over Malaysia?

(Media Comment by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah on Saturday, January 22, 2022)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 22 January 2022, 2:46 pm and is filed under
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Allowing teachers and Kemas staff to be involved in politics  is not to raise educational standards but to win the war between the ‘ministers’ cluster’ and the ‘court cluster’  in UMNO

Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri announced that with instant effect, all school teachers and Kemas staff nationwide are allowed to get involved in politics

This is a decision that was taken not to raise educational standards but to win the war between the ‘ministers’ cluster’ and the ‘court cluster’ in UMNO.

There are educational problems aplenty in Malaysia like the World Bank warning that the performance of Malaysian schoolchildren  is lagging behind even those from a poorer country like Vietnam  and the critical importance  for Malaysia to start education reforms immediately but Ismail Sabri is not worried about these problems but  only how he could continue as  Prime Minister as long as possible.

The educational future of the young generation of Malaysia is being sacrificed on the altar of political interests of the two clusters in UMNO fighting for ascendance.

The Johore State Assembly has been dissolved and this is another victory of “Courts Cluster” who wants the 15th general election to be held immediately, believing this is crucial to save their leaders from jail for corruption.

The dissolution of the Johore State Assembly yesterday was a surprise,  for everyone in-the-know was expecting the dissolution today.

But the lambasting by Johor Harapan is valid and legitimate, for it is a  highly irresponsible act to trigger a state assembly election when the people are still facing the Covid-19 pandemic and the Omicron strain, flood disasters, economic issues etc  and the pledge of co-operation and stability made by the Johore Harapan.

One of the biggest and intractable issues facing the people  today is worsening corruption in the country, in particular the Azam-gate in the country.

Is every political party and candidate in the forthcoming Johore State General Election prepared to be  committed to fight corruption?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for  Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 23rd January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 23 January 2022, 4:29 pm and is filed under
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Will the Cabinet on Wednesday set up an independent inquiry into Azam Baki’s shares purchases or do all the Cabinet Ministers agree with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri not to  pursue issue any further

Will the Cabinet on Wednesday set up an independent inquiry into Azam Baki’s shares purchases or do all the Cabinet Ministers agree with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri not to pursue issue any  further?

I call on  the Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani to end all police questioning of the organisers of the  “TangkapAzamBaki” demonstration in Bangsar as the Malaysian Police must  transform itself from an instrument of state repression  to be the guardian of democracy, human rights and anti-corruption campaigns.

What is important is that yesterday’s demonstration by the youths, regardless of race, religion or politics should provide an impetus to all government bodies, starting with the  Cabinet on Wednesday, to take a serious stand  on the aspirations of all Malaysians for a clean,  honest and efficient government which upholds integrity, probity and accountability.

The Prime Minister, Ismail Sabri, has committed a grave error of  misjudgement when he urged all parties  last Wednesday to accept the Securities Commission decision on Azam Baki but  as pointed out in a joint statement by seven NGOs, namely Institut Demokrasi dan Hal Ehwal Ekonomi (IDEAS), Transparency International Malaysia, C4, RasuahBusters, Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia, Bersih and Undi18,  the Securities Commission statement  has raised even more questions about Azam-gate, in particular whether Azam was lying when he claimed that his shareholding account was used by his brother to avoid conflict of interest.

One thing that is established by the “Tangkak AzamBaki” demonstration yesterday is that Azam has lost the confidence of the people to have the integrity, probity and accountability to be the MACC Chief Commissioner.

Azam must be making world history as the first anti-corruption chief of a country to  face an anti-corruption demonstration against him.

The last thing Malaysians want to see is for such “Tangkap AzamBaki” demonstrations to be duplicated all over the country.

This is why the Cabinet on Wednesday should set up independent inquiry into Azam-gate and for Azam to go on leave until the outcome of the investigations.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, 23rd January 2022)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 23 January 2022, 3:15 pm and is filed under
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A vindictive and petty MACC as revealed by Sivarasa is completely obnoxious and unacceptable and Ismail Sabri must put a stop to  the MACC from embarking on  personal vendetta against Sivarasa  for speaking  up in Parliament on Azam-gate

(Versi BM)

A vindictive and petty Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as revealed by PKR Member of Parliament for Sungai Buloh, R. Sivarasa is completely obnoxious and unacceptable and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri must put a stop to the MACC from embarking on personal vendetta against Sivarasa for speaking up in Parliament on Azam-gate.

Sivarasa claimed the MACC is taking reprisal action against his service centre after he raised the issue of MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s share ownership in the Dewan Rakyat.

Sivarasa revealed that his service centre manager KR Naveen, who is also his nephew, was summoned by the MACC last Friday (Jan 21) and was informed that he will be charged with a corruption offence over an incident four years ago

He said: “This so-called corruption offence is arising out of events in August/September 2017. In August, I had publicly raised with the Immigration Department the issue of how a Bangladeshi businessman named Monomiah Siddikur Rahman was corruptly obtaining permits for Bangladeshi workers as cleaners and staff in hotels by using fabricated documents and asking the Immigration director-general to investigate and take action.

“Suddenly on Sept 21, 2017, three of my service centre staff Naveen, Joshua Kalaisevan and Nico Kam were arrested by the MACC, remanded for four days and investigated for an alleged offence that they were trying to solicit money from Monomiah in return for dropping the issue.”

Sivarasa maintained that the allegation was false, malicious and without basis.

Why was the case resurrected after four and a half years?

Ismail Sabri should ensure that the MACC is not used to pursue a “personal vendetta” against Sivarasa for raising the issue of Azam Baki’s ownership of shares in Parliament on Dec. 4, 2021.

I suggest that Sivarasa lodge a report with the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges concerning this MACC “personal vendetta” against him for raising Azam Baki’s shareholding in Parliament on the MACC as it is an infringement of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 where an offender can be jailed by Parliament if a person guilty of contempt of Parliament failed to purge himself of the contempt.

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumjpur on Monday 24th January 2022)

Sebuah SPRM yang berdendam seperti yang didedahkan oleh Sivarasa adalah satu perkara yang amat tidak boleh diterima dan Ismail Sabri perlu menghentikan SPRM daripada terus membalas dendam peribadi terhadap Sivarasa kerana membangkitkan isu mengenai Azam di Parlimen

Sebuah Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) yang berdendam seperti yang didedahkan oleh Sivarasa adalah satu perkara yang amat tidak boleh diterima dan Ismail Sabri perlu menghentikan SPRM daripada terus membalas dendam peribadi terhadap Sivarasa kerana membangkitkan isu mengenai Azam di Parlimen.

Sivarasa mendakwa yang SPRM mengambil tindakan balas terhadap pusat khidmat beliau selepas beliau membangkitkan isu pemilikan saham Azam Baki di Dewan Rakyat.

Sivarasa mendedahkan yang pengurus pusat khidmat beliau, KR Naveen, yang juga merupakan anak saudara beliau, telah dipanggil oleh pihak SPRM pada hari Jumaat lepas (21 Jan) dan dimaklumkan yang beliau akan didakwa atas tuduhan rasuah mengenai satu insiden yang berlaku empat tahun yang lepas.

Beliau mengatakan: “Perkara yang kononnya merupakan kesalahan rasuah ini timbul daripada kejadian pada sekitar bulan Ogos/September 2017. Pada bulan Ogos, saya telah membangkitkan isu dengan Jabatan Imigresen mengenai seorang ahli perniagaan Bangladesh yang bernama Monomiah Siddikur Rahman yang telah mendapatkan permit kerja secara korup untuk pekerja kebersihan dan kakitangan dari Bangladesh untuk bekerja di hotel dengan menggunakan dokumen yang dipalsukan dan saya telah meminta Ketua Pengarah Imigresen untuk menyiasat perkara ini dan mengambil tindakan.

“Tiba-tiba pada 21 September 2017, tiga orang pegawai pusat khidmat saya, Naveen, Joshua Kalaivesen, dan Nico Kam ditangkap oleh SPRM, direman selama empat hari, dan disiasat atas dakwaan yang mereka cuba mendapatkan wang daripada Monomiah untuk tidak membangkitkan isu ini.”

Sivarasa mengatakan yang dakwaan ini salah, berniat jahat, dan tidak berasas.

Mengapakah kes ini dibangkitkan semula selepas empat tahun setengah?

Ismail Sabri perlu memastikan yang SPRM tidak digunakan untuk membalas dendam peribadi terhadap Sivarasa selepas beliau membangkitkan isu pemilikan saham Azam Baki di Parlimen pada 4 Disember 2021.

Saya mencadangkan yang Sivarasa membuat laporan dengan Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan Dewan Rakyat mengenai “dendam peribadi” SPRM terhadap beliau ini selepas beliau membangkitkan isu mengenai pemilikan saham Azam Baki memandangkan perkara ini merupakan satu pencabulan Akta Majlis Parlimen (Keistimewaan dan Kuasa) 1952 di mana sesiapa yang didapati bersalah boleh dipenjarakan oleh Parlimen sekiranya mereka gagal membuktikan yang mereka tidak menghina Parlimen.

(Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 24 Januari 2022)

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Cabinet on Wednesday should discuss the  international infamy for Malaysia as a result of BAM’s vindictive action against Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei and work out a strategy to prevent 2022 from becoming the Year of infamy for Malaysia

(Versi BM)

The Cabinet on Wednesday should discuss the international infamy for Malaysia as a result of Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM)’s vindictive action against Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei and work out a strategy to prevent 2022 from becoming the Year of infamy for Malaysia as the BAM’s action causing the infamy is only the latest in a series national infamies for Malaysia.

Last year was full of infamies – but will the new year of 2022 see more infamies?

The year 2021 ended with a spate of infamies.

On Saturday, 25th December, 2021, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri ignores the annual Christmas high tea of the Christian Federation of Malaysia, which had been attended by the Prime Minister or his representative every year since 1999, signalling that Ismail Sabri’s “Keluarga Malaysia” is not for unity in diversity of Malaysia’s multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural population and no unifying policy at all.

On Sunday, 26th December 2021, we have Cabinet Ministers launching their Ops Damage Control for their disastrous mismanagement of the massive floods especially in Selangor and Pahang, which were mere PR stunts of no benefit to any flood victim.

Rina Harun started the Operation, and although not in her high-heels or a grand hotel dinner, used a water jet to wash an apparently clean patch of pavement while surrounded by cameramen.

After Rina’s “water jet” gaffe, there was Prime Minister Ismail Sabri’s “shovel gate” where he posed in front of press cameras with a shovel which he used to scoop and toss some dirt once before the shovel was handed back to a person in a Fire Department uniform.

Ismail also created world history where an ambulance had to wait at a junction to give way to the Prime Minister’s convoy to allow Ismail to perform his one-scoop PR act.

This was followed by the farce of the Deputy Minister for Women, Family and Community Development posing for photograph driving a lorry as her contribution to the efforts in the flood situation, but she forgot to put the key in the ignition lock.

On 27th December, 2021, a convicted criminal on corruption opened an international conference in Malaysia.

On 28th December 2021, academician Edmund Terence Gomez resigned from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, sparking a three-week long and ongoing crisis of confidence in the MACC and highlighting that something is very rotten with the anti-corruption efforts in Malaysia.

Gomez resigned in protest against the Panel’s inaction against MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki’s alleged ownership of close to two million shares in a public listed company.

On 29th December 2021, former Sabah minister, Peter Anthony, quit Warisan to form a new political party which will co-operate with GRS-led Sabah State Government – an increase of the “political frog” population in Malaysia.

But 2022 seems to be likely to produce even more infamies for Malaysia than 2021.

There are already two infamies for the month of January 2022, the parliamentary and government paralysis over Azam-gate of the Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) culminating in the “Tangkap AzamBaki” demonstration in Kuala Lumpur by Malaysian youths last Saturday and the two year-suspension of national badminton players Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei as if they had committed serious crimes for wanting to go their separate ways to be world champions.

The Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Faizal Azumu should present a special report to the Cabinet on Wednesday as to how the problem of Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei can be satisfactorily resolved.

(Media Statement (3) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 24th January 2022)

Mesyuarat Kabinet pada hari Rabu ini perlu membincangkan reputasi negara yang terjejas akibat tindakan berdendam BAM terhadap Lee Zii Jia dan Goh Jin Wei dan Kabinet perlu merangka strategi untuk mengelakkan 2022 menjadi satu lagi tahun yang memalukan untuk negara

Mesyuarat Kabinet pada hari Rabu ini perlu membincangkan reputasi negara yang terjejas akibat tindakan berdendam BAM terhadap Lee Zii Jia dan Goh Jin Wei dan Kabinet perlu merangka strategi untuk mengelakkan 2022 menjadi satu lagi tahun yang memalukan untuk negara.

Tahun lepas kita disajikan begitu banyak peristiwa yang memalukan – tetapi adakah kita akan menyaksikan trend yang sama berulang pada tahun 2022?

Tahun 2021 berakhir dengan begitu banyak perkara yang memalukan.

Pada hari Sabtu, 25 Disember, 2021, Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri mengabaikan majlis jamuan minum petang Krismas tahunan anjuran Persekutuan Kristian Malaysia, yang telah dihadiri oleh Perdana Menteri atau wakilnya setiap tahun sejak 1999, menandakan bahawa “Keluarga Malaysia” Ismail Sabri adalah bukan untuk perpaduan dalam kepelbagaian penduduk Malaysia yang berbilang kaum, bahasa, agama dan budaya dan bahawa sebenarnya tiada dasar penyatuan langsung.

Pada hari Ahad, 26 Disember 2021, kita menyaksikan Menteri Kabinet melancarkan Operasi Kawalan Kerosakan kerana salah urus bencana banjir besar mereka terutamanya di Selangor dan Pahang, yang merupakan aksi perhubungan awam yang tidak memberi manfaat kepada mana-mana mangsa banjir.

Rina Harun memulakan Operasi, dan walaupun tidak memakai kasut tumit tinggi atau berada di majlis makan malam di hotel besar, beliau telah menggunakan mesin pencuci air untuk mencuci tapak kaki lima yang kelihatan bersih sambil dikelilingi jurukamera.

Selepas kejadian “semburan air” Rina, terdapat isu “penyodok” Perdana Menteri Ismail Sabri di mana beliau bergambar di hadapan kamera akhbar dengan penyodok yang digunakannya untuk mencedok dan melemparkan sedikit lumpur sekali sebelum penyodok itu diserahkan semula kepada seseorang anggota bomba.

Ismail juga mencipta sejarah dunia di mana sebuah ambulans terpaksa menunggu di satu simpang untuk memberi laluan kepada konvoi Perdana Menteri untuk melakukan gimik ini.

Ini disusuli dengan sandiwara Timbalan Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat yang merakam gambar memandu lori sebagai sumbangannya kepada usaha dalam situasi banjir, tetapi beliau terlupa untuk memasukkan kunci lori.

Pada hari Isnin, 27 Disember 2021, seorang penjenayah yang disabitkan bersalah telah merasmikan persidangan antarabangsa di Malaysia.

Pada hari Selasa, 28 Disember 2021, ahli akademik Edmund Terence Gomez meletak jawatan daripada Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), dengan menekankan bahawa ada sesuatu yang sangat buruk dengan usaha pencegahan rasuah di Malaysia.

Gomez meletak jawatan sebagai protes terhadap ketiadaan tindakan Panel tersebut terhadap dakwaan pemilikan ketua hampir dua juta saham dalam sebuah syarikat tersenarai oleh ketua pesuruhjaya SPRM Azam Baki.

Pada hari Rabu, 29 Disember 2021, rakyat Malaysia terpaksa bergelut dengan pengumuman bahawa bekas menteri Sabah, Peter Anthony, telah meninggalkan Warisan untuk menubuhkan sebuah parti politik baharu yang akan bekerjasama dengan Kerajaan Negeri Sabah pimpinan GRS – peningkatan populasi “katak politik” di Malaysia.

Pun begitu, nampaknya kita bakal menyaksikan lebih banyak peristiwa yang memalukan bakal terjadi pada tahun 2022 berbanding tahun 2021.

Sudah ada dua peristiwa yang memalukan yang berlaku dalam bulan Januari 2022, kelumpuhan parlimen dan kerajaan dalam bertindak terhadap skandal membabitkan Ketua Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), Azam Baki yang menyaksikan demonstrasi “Tangkap Azam Baki” dilancarkan oleh para belia Malaysia di Kuala Lumpur pada Sabtu lalu dan penggantungan dua tahun pemain badminton negara Lee Zii Jia dan Goh Jin Wei seolah-olah mereka telah melakukan jenayah serius hanya kerana mahu bergerak secara profesional demi mengejar cita-cita mereka untuk menjadi juara dunia.

Menteri Belia dan Sukan Ahmad Faizal Azumu sepatutnya membentangkan laporan khas kepada Kabinet pada Rabu mengenai bagaimana masalah Lee Zii Jia dan Goh Jin Wei boleh diselesaikan dengan tuntas.

(Kenyataan Media (3) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 24 Januari 2022)

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Height of irresponsibility of UMNO “court cluster” to force general election in Johore when for the last two weeks, Johor had the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in all states of Malaysia

(Versi BM)

It is the height of irresponsibility of the UMNO “court cluster” to force general election in Johore when for the last two weeks, Johore had the highest number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in all the states of Malaysia.

The UMNO “court cluster” want the Johore state general election to be a rehearsal of the 15th General Election which, they hope, will restore UMNO political hegemony with the return of UMNO hegemon/kleptocrats to power – and possibly a convicted criminal of corruption as the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

If this political scenario eventuates, Malaysians will have to deny that they are Malaysians when travelling abroad or they will the butt of international mockery and odium.

The denials of spokesmen of the UMNO “court cluster” that the Johore state general election had anything to do with them are weak and unconvincing, for the “Ministers Cluster” in UMNO will have no say whatsoever to determine the slate of UMNO candidates for the Johore state general election.

A good test as to whether the Johore general election is triggered by the “Court Cluster” in UMNO is whether UMNO is prepared to elevate the issue of the war against corruption as one of the top issues in the Johore polls.

Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin’s revelation that the UMNO “court cluster’ had wanted him when he was Prime Minister to intervene in their court cases is most shocking as it showed that the top UMNO leaders do not uphold the principles entrenched in the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara such as the rule of law and the doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, Parliament and the Judiciary.

It is clear that the UMNO “Court Cluster” have deviated far from the UMNO principles of the first four UMNO Presidents – Onn Jaffar, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Razak and Hussein Onn.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 24th January 2022)

Amat tidak bertanggungjawab untuk “kluster mahkamah” UMNO memaksa diadakan pilihan raya negeri Johor tanpa mengambil kira bahawa negeri itu mencatatkan jumlah kes dan kematian Covid-19 tertinggi di Malaysia sejak dua minggu lepas

Amatlah tidak bertanggungjawab untuk “kluster mahkamah” UMNO memaksa diadakan pilihan raya negeri Johor tanpa mengambil kira bahawa negeri tersebut mencatatkan jumlah kes dan kematian Covid-19 tertinggi di Malaysia sejak dua minggu lepas.

“Kluster mahkamah” UMNO mahu pilihan raya negeri Johor menjadi pemanas badan sebagai persiapan menghadapi Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 yang diharapkan mereka akan memulihkan hegemoni politik UMNO dengan kembalinya hegemon/kleptokrat UMNO – dan mungkin seorang penjenayah rasuah yang telah disabitkan bersalah oleh mahkamah bakal ditabalkan menjadi Perdana Menteri Malaysia ke-10.

Jika senario politik ini berlaku, rakyat Malaysia perlu menafikan bahawa mereka adalah rakyat Malaysia apabila melancong ke luar negara atau mereka akan menjadi bahan ejekan dan cemuhan masyarakat antarabangsa.

Penafian jurucakap “kluster mahkamah” UMNO bahawa pilihan raya umum negeri Johor ada kaitan dengan mereka adalah alasan yang lemah dan tidak meyakinkan, kerana “Kluster Menteri” dalam UMNO tidak akan mempunyai kuasa untuk menentukan senarai calon UMNO untuk parti itu dalam Pilihan raya umum Johor kali ini.

Ujian yang baik untuk menentukan sama ada pilihan raya negeri Johor dicetuskan oleh “Kluster Mahkamah” dalam UMNO atau tidak adalah dengan melihat sama ada UMNO bersedia untuk mengangkat isu perang menentang rasuah sebagai salah satu isu utama dalam pilihan raya negeri Johor.

Pendedahan Presiden Bersatu Muhyiddin Yassin bahawa “kluster mahkamah” UMNO mahu beliau – ketika menjadi Perdana Menteri – campur tangan dalam kes mahkamah adalah pendedahan yang amat mengejutkan kerana ia menunjukkan bahawa pemimpin tertinggi UMNO tidak menjunjung prinsip yang termaktub dalam Perlembagaan Malaysia dan Rukun Negara seperti kedaulatan undang-undang dan doktrin pengasingan kuasa dalam kalangan Eksekutif, Parlimen dan Badan Kehakiman.

Jelas sekali bahawa “Kluster Mahkamah” UMNO telah jauh menyimpang daripada prinsip UMNO yang dipegang erat empat Presiden UMNO yang pertama – Onn Jaafar, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Razak dan Hussein Onn

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP untuk Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Isnin, 24 Januari 2022)

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Another crisis of confidence which must be discussed by the Cabinet meeting tomorrow – from TI CPI 2019 which was the best in 25 years to TI CPI 2021 which was the worst in 27 years!

(Versi BM)

The Cabinet tomorrow must have a special discussion on the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 which has been released showing the country has dropped five rungs in the index, after dropping six rungs last year.

Malaysians expect a statement after the Cabinet meeting tomorrow as to why the country is facing another crisis of confidence with the TI CPI 2019 which was the best in 25 years to TI CPI 2021 which was the worst in 27 years!

Malaysia’s score in the TI CPI 2021 was 48 points out of 100, a drop of five points as compared to TI CPI 2019.

Malaysia’s performance in the TI CPI 2021 had not taken into account Azam-gate which rocked the nation for almost a month, as it was too recent a development to be an input in the TI CPI 2021.

Malaysia’s score and ranking would be even lower if Azam-gate had been fully incorporated into the TI CPI 2021.

Will any head roll as a result of Malaysia’s shocking performance of in TI

CPI 2021.

In other countries, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner would have handed in his resignation at the atrocious TI CPI 2021 report but not in Malaysia,

For nearly one month, Malaysia was convulsed in government and parliamentary paralysis by what is best term Azam-gate where the country’s chief anti-corruption officer failed to be a prime example of integrity, probity and accountability with his shareholding scandal.

The hope that Malaysia might become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity by 2030 under the Pakatan Harapan government was destroyed by the Sheraton Move conspiracy on Feb. 26, 2020 and have now the sorry TI CPI 2021.

The country was promised that under the former UMNO-BN regime in the last decade that Malaysia would achieve the target to be in the top 30 countries in the world in public integrity and anti-corruption.

Studying the TI CPI ranking and score for the 24-year series of TI CPI from 1995-2018, there was no ground for anyone to believe that the target of Malaysia being ranked in the top 30 countries of TI CPI 2020 could be achieved.

Countries which had been down on the list of the TI CPI ranking in the first series in 1995, like China, Thailand, India and Indonesia, were fast catching up to Malaysia’s level, which had regressed since 1995.

Fortunately, this trajectory was stopped when the Pakatan Harapan government took over, and in the TI CPI 2019, Malaysia achieved the best TI CPI performance in 25 years with a single-year improvement of six points for TI CPI score and 10 placings for TI CPI ranking – a ranking of No. 51 and score of 53 out of the 100.

Now we are back on the slippery slope of corruption as before the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 and the worst is yet to come from Azam-gate and worsening of the system of integrity in public life.

Will the TI CPI 2021 Report top the agenda of the Cabinet tomorrow, together the latest infamy of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM)’s vindictive action against the national badminton stars Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jn Wei waiting for satisfactory resolution by the Cabinet?

(Media Statement (2) by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 25th January 2022)

Satu lagi krisis yang perlu dibincangkan dalam mesyuarat kabinet esok – daripada TI CPI 2019 yang terbaik dalam 25 tahun kepada TI CPI 2021 yang paling teruk dalam 27 tahun!

Mesyuarat Kabinet esok perlu mengadakan perbincangan khas mengenai Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) Transparency International (TI) 2021 yang telah diterbitkan yang menunjukkan negara kita telah jatuh lima anak tangga dalam indeks itu, selepas turun enam anak tangga tahun lepas.

Rakyat Malaysia menantikan kenyataan daripada kerajaan esok selepas mesyuarat Kabinet tentang mengapa negara menghadapi satu lagi krisis keyakinan dengan kemerosotan TI CPI 2019 yang terbaik dalam 25 tahun kepada TI CPI 2021 yang terburuk dalam 27 tahun!

Skor Malaysia dalam TI CPI 2021 adalah 48/100, penurunan lima mata berbanding TI CPI 2019.

Prestasi Malaysia dalam TI CPI 2021 tidak mengambil kira skandal Azam yang menggegarkan negara selama hampir sebulan, kerana ia merupakan perkembangan yang terlalu baharu untuk dijadikan input dalam TI CPI 2021.

Skor dan kedudukan Malaysia akan menjadi lebih rendah jika skandal Azam dimasukkan sepenuhnya ke dalam TI CPI 2021.

Adakah mana-mana pihak yang akan dipertanggungjawabkan susulan prestasi mengejutkan Malaysia dalam TI CPI 2021.

Di negara lain, Ketua Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) akan meletakkan jawatannya selepas laporan TI CPI 2021 yang begitu teruk dikeluarkan tetapi perkara seumpama ini tidak berlaku di Malaysia.

Selama hampir sebulan, Malaysia dilanda kelumpuhan kerajaan dan parlimen akibat skandal Azam di mana ketua pegawai anti-rasuah negara itu gagal menjadi contoh integriti, kejujuran dan akauntabiliti berhubung dakwaan pegangan saham yang dihadapinya.

Harapan bahawa Malaysia boleh menjadi salah satu daripada 30 negara teratas dunia dalam soal integriti menjelang 2030 di bawah kerajaan Pakatan Harapan telah dimusnahkan oleh Langkah Sheraton pada 26 Februari 2020 dan kini kita terpaksa pula menerima keputusan corot dalam TI CPI 2021.

Negara telah dijanjikan bahawa di bawah bekas rejim UMNO-BN pada dekad lalu bahawa Malaysia akan mencapai sasaran untuk berada dalam 30 negara teratas dunia dalam soal integriti dan pembanterasan rasuah.

Mengkaji kedudukan dan markah TI CPI untuk siri 24 tahun TI CPI dari 1995-2018, tiada alasan untuk sesiapa percaya bahawa sasaran Malaysia berada dalam kedudukan 30 negara teratas TI CPI 2020 boleh dicapai.

Negara-negara yang telah turun dalam senarai penarafan TI CPI dalam siri pertama pada tahun 1995, seperti China, Thailand, India dan Indonesia, pantas mengejar kedudukan Malaysia, yang telah mengalami kemunduran sejak 1995.

Mujurlah, trajektori ini dihentikan apabila kerajaan Pakatan Harapan mengambil alih, dan dalam TI CPI 2019, Malaysia mencapai prestasi TI CPI terbaik dalam tempoh 25 tahun dengan peningkatan enam mata untuk skor TI CPI dan kenaikkan 10 anak tangga dalam ranking TI CPI – kedudukan ke-51 dan skor 53 daripada 100.

Kini kita kembali terjerumus ke dalam kancah rasuah seperti sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2018 dan perkara buruk bakal berlaku akibat daripada skandal Azam dan kemerosotan sistem integriti dalam kehidupan awam.

Adakah Laporan TI CPI 2021 akan menjadi agenda utama Jemaah Menteri esok, bersama-sama tindakan berdendam Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) terhadap bintang badminton negara Lee Zii Jia dan Goh Jin Wei yang menunggu penyelesaian menang-menang oleh Kabinet?

(Kenyataan Media (2) oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Selasa, 25 Januari 2022)

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How will Malaysia fare in the TI CPI 2021 which will be released later today  in Berlin

(Versi BM)

I woke up this morning to a major AFP anti-corruption story “Communist Party expels 3 senior Chinese officials for corruption” which states that three senior Chinese officials—including a former top banking regulator—have been expelled from the ruling Communist Party for alleged corruption and placed under criminal investigation.

The expulsions come days after Chinese authorities vowed “no mercy” in their ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has brought down high-flying politicians and influential tycoons, ahead of a key political meeting that could secure President Xi Jinping a third term.

More than a million officials had already been netted in China’s anti-corruption campaign.

The three senior Chinese officials who were latest to be netted were Cai Esheng, former vice chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission, as well as former supreme court official Meng Xiang and former deputy director of the national food administration Xu Ming who have all been expelled for “serious violation of discipline and laws”, according to China’s graft watchdog.

China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said all three men were suspected of accepting bribes and “illegally receiving assets of massive value” as well as using their positions to help others further their personal interests.

The officials allegedly accepted inappropriately lavish banquets and violated the party’s principles, the commission added.

The commission accused Cai in particular of “complete political degeneration”, “severely disrupting the order of the financial market” and engaging in “transactions of money and sex”.

All three men’s cases have been transferred to public prosecutors, the commission said—usually a sign of impending criminal charges.

The commission last week warned it would show “no mercy” against corruption within the ruling party, promising to continue its anti-graft crackdown ahead of October’s 20th party congress, where Xi is widely expected to be handed a third term in office.

Those convicted of corruption can be stripped of their wealth and party membership, and face a lifetime behind bars or even death.

What do we have on anti-corruption in Malaysia?

For close to a month, there had been both government and parliamentary paralysis on Azam-gate, where the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner had lost all confidence of the country as he has failed as the prime example of integrity, probity and accountability in the public service, to the extent that the youths of Malaysia, regardless of race, religion or politics, united in a “Tangkap Azam Baki”: demonstration in Kuala Lumpur which had the unanimous approval of Malaysians.

Malaysia continued to be the laughing stock of the world – where in the world do you have a nation where the head of the anti-corruption agency is the target of the largest anti-corruption scandal of the country?

Later today, Transparency International (TI) will be releasing its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 index.

How will Malaysia fare?

I had said that the TI CPI 2019 Report was the best in 25 year since tI started its annual CPI series in 1995, as it heralded a new era of anti-corruption in Malaysia giving hope that Malaysia can become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity before 2030.

Malaysia’s TI CPI 2019 score of 53 out of 100 is just short of Malaysia’s top score of 5.32 out of 10 in the TI CPI 1996 which placed Malaysia on the ranking of 26 out of 54 countries.

Malaysia should aim not onto to exceed the results in the TI CPI 1996, but should also aim to achieve the objective of being ranked among the world top 30 countries in public integrity before 2030.

Then disaster on the anti-corruption front struck.

The TI CPI 2019 was released on 23rd January 2020. A month later, on 26th February 2020, the Pakatan Harapan government was toppled after 22 months by the Sheraton Move conspiracy, ushering in two backdoor and illegitimate governments.

In the TI CPI 2020 released on 29th January 2021, Malaysia fell in score from 53 points to 51 points, which resulted in six- point fall in ranking from No. 51 to 57.

A Malaysian who had been intimately involved with past TI CPIs warned that worst is to come.

He said: “It takes time to drop significantly since some of the data (surveys) used were 2018/2019. Next year we can big changes.”

If he is right, then we have reason to be worried for we are faced with the question whether Malaysia is heading towards the lowest TI CPI score and rank in TI CPI 2021 which is to be revealed later today.

One of the things which concerns me when Transparency International releases its annual Corruption Perception Index every year is how Malaysia is faring with two nations, China and Indonesia, which were regarded in the past as very corrupt nations.

In fact, in the first of the TI’s annual CPI series from 1995, China and Indonesia were ranked 40th and 41st, the last two of the list of 41 countries surveyed.

China scored 2.16 while Indonesia scored 1,94 out of 10 points in 1995. Malaysia was ranked No. 23rd with score of 5.28 out of 10 points.

China and Indonesia are now far from the most corrupt nations in the world, which are occupied by the most corrupt five – Venezuela and Yemen with score of 15 out of 100 points in the TI CPI 2020, Syria with 14 points and Somalia and South Sudan both with 12 points out of 180 countries surveyed.

Both China and Indonesia have improved considerably in the last 26 years and China is now ranked No. 78 with a score of 42 while Indonesia is ranked 102 with a score of 37.

While both China and Indonesia have improved considerably in their TI CPI scores, Malaysia had regressed considerably, with a score of 51 and ranking of 57 out of 180 nations.

Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking fell to the lowest level of No. 62 out of 180 countries in 2017 while the TI CPI score fell to the lowest level 4.3 out of 10 in 2011.

The country was promised that under the UMNO-BN regime in the last decade Malaysia will achieve the target to be in the top 30 countries in the TI CPI 2020.

Studying the TI CPI ranking and score for the 24-year series of TI CPI from 1995-2018, there was no ground for anyone to believe that the target of Malaysia being ranked in the top 30 countries of TI CPI 2020 could be achieved.

From the TI CPI record from 2010-2018, it is likely that China would have overtaken Malaysia in the TI CPI series before 2030 and Indonesia overtaken Malaysia after 2030.

Countries which had been down on the list of the TI CPI ranking in the first series in 1995, like China, Thailand, India and Indonesia, were fast catching up to Malaysia’s level, which had regressed since 1995.

Fortunately, this trajectory was stopped when the Pakatan Harapan government took over, and in the TI CPI 2019, although China improved both its TI CPI rank and score to No. 80 and 41 points out of 100, Malaysia achieved the best TI CPI performance in 25 years with a single-year improvement of six points for TI CPI score and 10 placings for TI CPI ranking – a ranking of No. 51 and score of 53 out of the 100.

Malaysia was poised for a new era of anti-corruption in Malaysia by achieving better TI CPI score and ranking every year from TI CPI 2019, and embark Malaysia on the road to become one of the world’s top 30 countries in public integrity before 2030.

But the Pakatan Harapan government was short-lived, as it was toppled by the Sheraton Move conspiracy which brought in two backdoor and illegitimate Governments.

Now we are back on the slippery slope of corruption as before the 14th General Election on May 9, 2018 and the TI CPI 2021 is likely to see “big changes” for the worse – with Malaysia heading for the worst TI CPI ranking and score in history.

We await with trepidation the TI CPI 2011 Report, which will be released later today.

The TI CPI 2011 Report should be top on the agenda of the Cabinet tomorrow, what with the anti-corruption crisis of Azam-gate in hand, as well as the latest infamy of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM)’s vindictive action against the national badminton stars Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jn Wei waiting for satisfactory resolution by the Cabinet.

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 25th January 2022)

Apakah nasib Malaysia dalam TI CPI 2021 yang akan diterbitkan hari ini di Berlin

Saya bangun pagi ini dengan berita tergempar dalam hal anti-rasuah di AFP, “Parti Komunis menendang keluar 3 pegawai kanan China kerana rasuah” yang menyatakan tiga pegawai kanan China – termasuklah bekas pengawal selia industri perbankan – telah dibuang daripada Parti Komunis kerana dakwaan rasuah dan kini sedang disiasat.

Pembuangan ini berlaku beberapa hari selepas pihak berkuasa di China berikrar untuk “tidak berbelas kasihan” dalam kempen anti rasuah mereka, yang kini telah menjatuhkan ahli politik dan taikun perniagaan yang berpengaruh sebelum berlangsungnya sebuah mesyuarat politik yang penting yang mungkin akan menentukan penggal ketiga untuk Presiden Xi Jinping.

Lebih daripada sejuta orang pegawai telah pun ditangkap dalam kempen anti-rasuah di China.

Tiga pegawai kanan yang terbaru ditangkap ini adalah Cai Esheng, bekas naib pengerusi Suruhanjaya Kawal Selia Bank China, dan juga bekas pegawai mahkamah agung, Meng Xiang, dan bekas timbalan pengarah pengurusan makanan nasional, Xu Ming, yang semuanya telah dibuang dari parti kerana “pencabulan disiplin dan undang-undang yang serius”, kata badan pemerhati rasuah China.

Suruhanjaya Semakan Disiplin Pusat China mengatakan yang ketiga-tiga orang ini disyaki menerima rasuah dan “menerima aset bernilai besar secara haram” dan juga menggunakan kedudukan mereka untuk membantu orang lain melindungi kepentingan peribadi mereka.

Pegawai-pegawai ini dituduh menerima jamuan mewah dan mencabuli prinsip-prinsip parti, tambah suruhanjaya itu lagi.

Suruhanjaya tersebut secara khususnya menuduh Cai terlibat dengan “kemerosotan politik yang menyeluruh”, “mengganggu urusan pasaran kewangan” dan “transaksi yang melibatkan wang dan seks”.

Kes ketiga-tiga orang ini telah dihantar ke pendakwa raya, kata suruhanjaya tersebut – biasanya perkara ini merupakan petanda yang dakwaan jenayah akan berlaku.

Suruhanjaya ini pada minggu lepas telah memberikan amaran yang ia tidak akan menunjukkan “belas kasihan” terhadap rasuah dalam parti pemerintah, berjanji untuk meneruskan usaha penghapusan rasuah sebelum kongres parti pada 20 Oktober, di mana Xi dijangkakan untuk diberikan kuasa untuk penggal ketiga sebagai Presiden.

Mereka yang disabitkan dengan kesalahan rasuah akan kehilangan kekayaan dan keahlian mereka, dan berhadapan dengan hukuman penjara seumur hidup atau hukuman mati.

Bagaimana pula dengan usaha anti-rasuah di Malaysia?

Selama hampir sebulan, terdapat kelumpuhan dalam kerajaan dan di Parlimen mengenai isu Azam Baki, di mana Ketua Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM), telah kehilangan kepercayaan rakyat apabila beliau gagal untuk menjadi contoh tauladan utama integriti, kejujuran, dan akauntabiliti dalam perkhidmatan awam, sehingga golongan muda dalam negara, tanpa mengira kaum, agama, atau politik, telah bersatu dalam satu demonstrasi “Tangkap Azam Baki” di Kuala Lumpur yang mendapat sokongan penuh rakyat Malaysia.

Malaysia terus menjadi bahan ketawa dunia – di manakah tempat lain di dunia di mana ketua agensi anti-rasuah negara sendiri menjadi tumpuan skandal anti-rasuah terbesar negara?

Lewat hari ini, Transparency International (TI) akan menerbitkan Indeks Persepsi Rasuah (CPI) 2021.

Apakah kedudukan Malaysia agaknya.

Saya telah katakan sebelum ini yang kedudukan Malaysia dalam TI CPI 2019 adalah yang terbaik dalam 25 sejak indeks ini mula diterbitkan pada tahun 1995, kerana ia menandakan era baharu usaha anti-rasuah di Malaysia yang memberikan harapan untuk Malaysia menjadi salah satu daripada 30 negara teratas di dunia dari ukuran integriti awam menjelang 2030.

Markah CI TPI Malaysia untuk tahun 2019 adalah 53 daripada 100, hanya kurang sedikit sahaja daripada markah tertinggi yang pernah dicatatkan dalam CI TPI 1996, 5.32 per 10 yang meletakkan Malaysia di tempat ke-26 daripada 54 buah negara ketika itu.

Malaysia patut menyasarkan bukan sahaja untuk mengatasi markah kita dalam CI TPI 1996, tetapi menyasarkan untuk mencapai objektif berada dalam kalangan 30 negara teratas di dunia sebelum tahun 2030.

Malangnya, bencana melanda usaha anti-rasuah di Malaysia.

TI CPI 2019 diterbitkan pada 23 Januari 2020. Sebulan kemudian, pada 26 Februari 2020, kerajaan Pakatan Harapan telah digulingkan selepas 22 bulan memalui konspirasi Langkah Sheraton, membawa masuk dua kerajaan pintu belakang yang tidak sah.

Dalam TI CPI 2020 yang diterbitkan pada 29 Januari 2021, markah Malaysia jatuh daripada 53 mata kepada 51 mata, yang mengakibatkan penurunan enam mata dalam kedudukan dari tempat ke-51 ke tempat ke-57.

Seorang rakyat Malaysia yang terlibat secara rapat dengan TI CPI yang lalu memberi amaran bahawa perkara yang lebih buruk akan berlaku.

Beliau berkata: “Ia mengambil masa untuk menunjukkan penurunan dengan ketara kerana beberapa data (tinjauan) yang digunakan adalah dari tahun 2018/2019. Tahun depan kita boleh melihat perubahan besar.”

Jika dia betul, maka kita mempunyai sebab untuk bimbang kerana kita berdepan dengan persoalan sama ada Malaysia sedang menuju ke arah skor dan kedudukan TI CPI terendah dalam TI CPI 2021 yang akan didedahkan lewat hari ini.

Salah satu perkara yang membimbangkan saya apabila Transparency International mengeluarkan Indeks Persepsi Rasuah tahunannya setiap tahun ialah bagaimana Malaysia berhadapan dengan dua negara, China dan Indonesia, yang pada masa lalu dianggap sebagai negara yang sangat korup.

Malah, dalam siri CPI tahunan pertama TI dari 1995, China dan Indonesia berada di kedudukan ke-40 dan ke-41, dua terakhir daripada senarai 41 negara yang dikaji.

China memperoleh 2.16 mata manakala Indonesia memperoleh 1.94 daripada 10 mata pada 1995. Malaysia menduduki tempat ke-23 dengan markah 5.28 daripada 10 mata.

China dan Indonesia kini jauh daripada status negara paling korup di dunia, yang diduduki oleh lima paling korup – Venezuela dan Yaman dengan skor 15 daripada 100 mata dalam TI CPI 2020, Syria dengan 14 mata dan Somalia dan Sudan Selatan kedua-duanya dengan 12 mata daripada 180 negara yang dikaji.

Kedua-dua China dan Indonesia telah meningkat dengan ketara dalam tempoh 26 tahun kebelakangan ini dan China kini berada di kedudukan ke-78 dengan skor 42 manakala Indonesia di kedudukan ke-102 dengan skor 37.

Walaupun kedua-dua China dan Indonesia telah meningkat dengan ketara dalam skor TI CPI mereka, Malaysia telah merosot dengan ketara, dengan skor 51 dan kedudukan 57 daripada 180 negara.

Kedudukan TI CPI Malaysia jatuh ke tahap terendah No. 62 daripada 180 negara pada 2017 manakala skor TI CPI jatuh ke tahap terendah 4.3 daripada 10 pada 2011.

Negara telah dijanjikan – di bawah rejim UMNO-BN dalam dekad yang lalu – bahawa Malaysia akan mencapai sasaran untuk berada dalam 30 negara teratas dalam TI CPI 2020.

Mengkaji kedudukan dan markah TI CPI untuk siri 24 tahun TI CPI dari 1995-2018, tiada alasan untuk sesiapa percaya bahawa sasaran Malaysia berada dalam kedudukan 30 negara teratas TI CPI 2020 boleh dicapai.

Daripada rekod TI CPI dari 2010-2018, berkemungkinan China akan mengatasi Malaysia dalam siri TI CPI sebelum 2030 dan Indonesia mengatasi Malaysia selepas 2030.

Negara-negara yang berada di kedudukan rendah dalam senarai TI CPI siri pertama pada tahun 1995, seperti China, Thailand, India dan Indonesia, pantas mengejar kedudukan Malaysia, yang telah mengalami kemunduran sejak 1995.

Nasib baik, trajektori ini dihentikan apabila kerajaan Pakatan Harapan mengambil alih, dan dalam TI CPI 2019, walaupun China meningkatkan kedua-dua kedudukan dan markah TI CPI-nya kepada tempat ke-80 dan 41 mata daripada 100, Malaysia mencapai prestasi TI CPI terbaik dalam 25 tahun dengan peningkatan satu tahun sebanyak enam mata untuk skor TI CPI dan lompatan 10 anak tangga dalam indeks TI CPI – kedudukan di tempat ke-51 dan skor 53 daripada 100.

Malaysia bersedia untuk era baharu anti-rasuah di Malaysia dengan mencapai skor dan penarafan TI CPI yang lebih baik setiap tahun daripada TI CPI 2019, dan memulakan Malaysia di landasan untuk menjadi salah satu daripada 30 negara terbaik dunia dalam integriti awam sebelum 2030.

Tetapi kerajaan Pakatan Harapan berumur pendek, kerana ia telah digulingkan oleh konspirasi Langkah Sheraton yang membawa masuk dua Kerajaan pintu belakang yang tidak sah.

Kini kita kembali ke kancah rasuah, seperti sebelum Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 pada 9 Mei 2018 dan TI CPI 2021 berkemungkinan besar akan mencatatkan “perubahan besar” ke arah yang lebih buruk – dengan Malaysia mencatatkan kedudukan dan markah terburuk dalam sejarah.

Kita nantikan dengan penuh bimbang laporan yang diterbitkan hari ini.

Laporan TI CPI 2021 perlu menjadi agenda utama Kabinet esok, ditambah lagi dengan krisis anti-rasuah Azam Baki, dan juga tindakan berdendam memalukan oleh Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) terhadap jaguh badminton negara Lee Zii Jia dan Goh Jin Wei yang menantikan penyelesaian yang memuaskan daripada Kabinet.

(Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP untuk Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Selasa, 25 Januari 2022)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 25 January 2022, 7:22 am and is filed under
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Cabinet must reject the MACC  statement for 5-point drop in score from 53 to 48 and 11-point drop in rank in two years in TI CPI 2021, the worst  two years in 27 years of TI CPI  and sack Azam Baki for incompetence and poor performance as MACC Chief Commissioner

(Versi BM)

The Cabinet must reject the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) statement for 5-point drop in score from 53 to 48 and 11-point drop in rank in two years in TI CPI 2021, the worst two years in 27 years of TI CPI and sack Azam Baki for incompetence and poor performance as MACC Chief Commissioner.

The time has come to appoint a new MACC Chief Commissioner whose KPI (key performance indicator) includes raising Malaysia’s score and ranking in the annual TI CPI.

The MACC statement after the release of the TI CPI 2021 that the MACC would review the findings of the annual CPI and propose recommendations and called on the people’s “continued co-operation to help us curb corruption”.

The MACC must be told in no uncertain terms that “Enough is Enough” and that the time for statements which said “sweet nothings” and “clever after the event” are over.

In the TI CPI 2021 released yesterday, Malaysia ranked No. 62 with a score of 48, losing in two years 11 rungs in ranking and five points in score as compared to the TI CPI 2019 – the worst two-year performance of the MACC and previously Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) since Transparency International started its annual CPI series in 1995.

Malaysia’s score had fallen below 50 points or the rough equivalent of 5 points out of 10 before 2012 in 10 out of the past 27 years, and eight of these ten years were after 2009.

The worst is yet to come as Malaysia’s TI CPI 2021 had not taken into account Azam-gate which had rocked the nation for almost a month, as it was too recent a development to be an input in the TI CPI 2021.

Year

Score

Rank

Countries

1995

5.28

23

41

1996

5.32

26

54

1997

5.01

32

52

1998

5.3

29

85

1999

5.1

32

99

2000

4.8

36

90

2001

5

36

91

2002

4.9

33

102

2003

5.2

39

133

2004

5

39

145

2005

5.1

39

158

2006

5

44

163

2007

5.1

43

179

2008

5.1

47

180

2009

4.5

56

180

2010

4.4

56

178

2011

4.3

60

183

2012

49

54

176

2013

50

53

177

2014

52

50

175

2015

50

54

168

2016

49

55

176

2017

47

62

180

2018

47

61

180

2019

53

51

180

2020

51

57

180

2021

48

62

180

Malaysia’s score and ranking would be even lower if Azam-gate had been fully incorporated into the TI CPI 2021.

Heads must roll in the MACC for this dismal TI CPI for two consecutive years – 2020 and 2021.

First, Azam has proved himself not to be an example of integrity, probity and accountability on Azam-gate on the issue of his shareholding and the conflict-of-interest allegations first made publicly three months ago.

I am still keeping on open mind on the issue but his refusal to appear before the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department to clear himself of the conflict-of-interest allegations and his arrogant and “high-and-mighty” attitude in the last one month since the resignation of academician Edmund Terence Gomez from the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel at the end of last year has condemned him as unfit for high office.

Now there is the evidence of his dismal performance as MACC Chief Commissioner since his appointment in March 2020 as reflected in the TI CPI 2020 and TI CPI 2021 which are the worst two years in the nation’s anti-corruption efforts for the past three decades.

Is Azam prepared to appear before the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department to be questioned about his poor performance and failures as MACC Chief Commissioner and defend himself against the TI CPI 2020 and TI CPI 2021?

I am issuing this statement several hours before the Cabinet meeting today, so that the highly-paid Ministers in the jumbo-sized Cabinet will not act like the proverbial three monkeys of having eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not as they did at last week’s Cabinet meeting on Azam-gate.

After the worst two years in the TI CPI for 2020 and 2021, Malaysians expect the Cabinet to act.

Or will the Cabinet again be like the proverbial three monkeys later today?

(Media Statement by DAP MP for Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 26th January 2022)

Kabinet perlu menolak kenyataan SPRM mengenai kejatuhan lima markah dan 11 anak tangga dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah TI 2021 berbanding dengan 2019, dua tahun terburuk dalam sejarah TI CPI dan juga memecat Azam Baki atas kegagalan dan prestasi buruk beliau sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM

Kabinet perlu menolak kenyataan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) mengenai kejatuhan lima markah dan 11 anak tangga dalam Indeks Persepsi Rasuah Transparency International 2021 berbanding dengan 2019, dua tahun terburuk dalam sejarah 27 tahun penerbitan TI CPI dan juga memecat Azam Baki atas kegagalan dan prestasi buruk beliau sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM.

Masanya telah tiba untuk negara melantik Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM baharu yang mempunyai KPI (penunjuk prestasi utama) antaranya untuk meningkatkan skor dan kedudukan Malaysia dalam TI CPI tahunan.

SPRM mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa agensi itu akan mengkaji hasil penemuan TI-M berkaitan skor CPI 2021 dan akan memberi cadangan dalam masa terdekat selain menyeru rakyat untuk “meneruskan jalinan kerjasama dalam usaha pencegahan rasuah”.

SPRM mesti diingatkan supaya tidak lagi mengeluarkan kenyataan yang hanya sekadar bersifat untuk menyedapkan hati.

Dalam TI CPI 2021 yang dikeluarkan semalam, Malaysia menduduki tempat ke-62 dengan skor 48 mata, turun 11 anak tangga dan turun lima mata berbanding TI CPI 2019 – prestasi dua tahun terburuk SPRM dan Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) sebelum ini sejak Transparency International memulakan siri CPI tahunannya pada 1995, seperti berikut:

Tahun

Markah

Kedudukan

Jumlah negara

1995

5.28

23

41

1996

5.32

26

54

1997

5.01

32

52

1998

5.3

29

85

1999

5.1

32

99

2000

4.8

36

90

2001

5

36

91

2002

4.9

33

102

2003

5.2

39

133

2004

5

39

145

2005

5.1

39

158

2006

5

44

163

2007

5.1

43

179

2008

5.1

47

180

2009

4.5

56

180

2010

4.4

56

178

2011

4.3

60

183

2012

49

54

176

2013

50

53

177

2014

52

50

175

2015

50

54

168

2016

49

55

176

2017

47

62

180

2018

47

61

180

2019

53

51

180

2020

51

57

180

2021

48

62

180

Skor Malaysia telah jatuh di bawah 50 mata atau bersamaan 5 mata daripada 10 sebelum 2012 dalam 10 daripada 27 tahun yang lalu, dan lapan daripada sepuluh tahun ini adalah selepas 2009.

Prestasi Malaysia dalam TI CPI 2021 tidak mengambil kira skandal Azam yang menggegarkan negara selama hampir sebulan, kerana ia merupakan perkembangan yang terlalu baharu untuk dijadikan input dalam TI CPI 2021.

Ketua-ketua dalam SPRM harus bertanggungjawab terhadap prestasi buruk negara dalam TI CPI selama dua tahun berturut-turut – 2020 dan 2021.

Pertama, Azam telah membuktikan bahwa beliau tidak boleh menjadi contoh integriti, kejujuran dan akauntabiliti dalam isu pegangan sahamnya dan dakwaan konflik kepentingan yang pertama kali dibuat secara terbuka tiga bulan lalu.

Saya masih berfikiran terbuka mengenai isu ini tetapi keengganan beliau untuk hadir menghadap Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen mengenai Agensi-Agensi di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri untuk membersihkan dirinya daripada dakwaan konflik kepentingan dan keangkuhan beliau sejak sebulan lepas selepas peletakan jawatan ahli akademik Edmund Terence Gomez daripada Panel Perundingan dan Pencegahan Rasuah SPRM pada akhir tahun lalu telah membuktikan bahawa beliau tidak layak untuk menduduki jawatan tertinggi dalam agensi kerajaan.

Kini terdapat bukti prestasi hambar beliau sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM sejak pelantikannya pada Mac 2020 seperti yang ditunjukkan dalam TI CPI 2020 dan TI CPI 2021 yang merupakan dua tahun terburuk dalam usaha pencegahan rasuah negara sejak tiga dekad lalu.

Adakah Azam bersedia untuk hadir menghadap Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Parlimen mengenai Agensi-Agensi di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri untuk disoal mengenai prestasi yang lemah dan kegagalannya sebagai Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM dan mempertahankan dirinya berhubung prestasi buruk dalam TI CPI 2020 dan TI CPI 2021?

Saya mengeluarkan kenyataan ini beberapa jam sebelum mesyuarat Kabinet hari ini, supaya Menteri yang bergaji tinggi dalam Kabinet bersaiz gergasi tidak akan bertindak seperti kisah tiga ekor monyet yang mempunyai mata tetapi tidak melihat, telinga tetapi tidak mendengar dan mulut tetapi tidak bercakap seperti yang mereka lakukan pada mesyuarat Kabinet minggu lepas berhubung skandal Azam.

Selepas dua tahun terburuk dalam TI CPI untuk 2020 dan 2021, rakyat Malaysia menjangkakan Kabinet akan bertindak.

Atau adakah Kabinet hari ini sekali lagi akan berkelakuan seperti kisah tiga ekor monyet itu.

Kenyataan Media oleh Ahli Parlimen DAP untuk Iskandar Puteri Lim Kit Siang di Kuala Lumpur pada hari Rabu, 26 Januari 2022

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 26 January 2022, 7:26 am and is filed under
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