theSun | FRIDAY FEBRUARY 27 2009
speak up!
WHEN it comes to dispelling a doubt
as to whether one is doing the right
thing, always apply the reasonable
man’s test. This was one of the first
things you learn in the lessons on
application of the law.
Hence, public perception should
and ought to count for something as
we would like to consider that the
majority of people are reasonable
folk with a clear definition of right
and wrong.
The letters we receive as
columnists are testament to the
views and thinking of the larger
population and I would like to re-
produce two of them to show that
people are observant and articulate
about the goings on around them
and do not suffer fools lightly.
First is a note from Kalai on
the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission (MACC):
MACC seems to be the flavour of
the week, having scored a hat-trick
of sorts with Nades and yourself
writing about it in the last three
days! After all the hype before and
after the passage of the MACC Bill in
Parliament, the MACC has come out
to be the same powerless wimp as
the former ACA. MACC will be able
to deliver only when its leadership
is made of people of high integrity
and courage to do what needs to be
done without being beholden to their
political masters.
When corruption is readily
assimilated as a culture by the politi-
cal parties, as was seen in BN read-
ily accepting the two assemblymen
charged with corruption, to force
the change of government in Perak,
then corruption only breeds more
corruption with everyone having a
finger in the pie.
The list of corruption cases
highlighted by theSun to the then
MACC, do us proud
ACA and now renamed
as MACC is staggering,
involving many in high
places, yet not one big
fish was netted.
So, when the chief of
MACC declares that it
has a strong case to indict
the current Selangor MB
on a petty case of cows
and car, investigated in Down2Earth
super speed record time,
what does that tell you by Terence Fernandez
of his independence from
his political masters?
Will the MACC chief come out
with the same gusto to explain
why a Malaysian pilot convicted in
Australia for child pornography was
not investigated by the local police
nor was he sacked by his employers?
He can punch his chest and an-
nounce to all and sundry that he is
acting without fear and favour but
the shallowness of his actions on the
eve of the official launch of MACC is
clear for all to see that he is in fact
acting with fear and favour.
Until we can have brave men and
women of high principle and integ-
rity who are not beholden to any
political master and stand on high
moral grounds heading the MACC,
corruption is here to stay.
What Kalai articulates is worth
pondering. Action at the end of the
day, speaks louder than words. And
the MACC for all its fanfare has yet
to prove itself.
One wonders if it will embark on
its investigation into the
dodgy property deals
in Mecca purportedly
linked to the previous
Selangor mentri besar,
as it speedily did on the
cows-and-car investi-
gation on the present
mentri besar; as well as
the allegations of abuse
of power against the
Perak state assembly
speaker.
The people are
watching and waiting with bated
breath. And if Citizen Nades and I
seem to be harping on the MACC,
it is not because we lack issues. It is
just that the MACC cannot go down
the same path as it did when it was
the Anti-Corruption Agency.
All the hoopla surrounding this
new and improved agency with
five tiers of checks-and-balances
will amount to nothing but a big fat
expensive joke.
In the meantime, I suspect even
the Dewan Negara and Dewan
Rakyat speakers must now watch
themselves as there seems to be
no such thing as absolute privi-
lege which we all assumed were
accorded to speakers of the
legislative assemblies.
I also received an interesting
email from a reader in Subang Jaya
about my last column on politics
and schools. I would like to share
excerpts of Retired School Teacher’s
letter with you:
I would like to draw your
attention to what (deputy education
minister) Datuk Wee Ka Siong said
that there was no letter from MOE
(Ministry of Education) to stop
schools from inviting (Pakatan
Rakyat) PR leaders in the states run
by PR.
Last year after the general elec-
tion, school principals in Selangor
were briefed by the Selangor Educa-
tion Department director that they
were not allowed to invite Pakatan
Rakyat (PR) leaders for any school
function nor hang the new MB’s
photo in schools. They were told that
the order came from MOE. MOE did
not issue a circular to schools about
this. However, it is understood that
any school head going against
the order will be duly punished in
different ways, such as transfer to a
less prestigious school, not consid-
ered for promotion, etc. Teachers
will also face the same fate.
As such, in SRK(C) Sin Ming’s
case, it is not surprising that the
teachers and headmaster did not
turn up for the event for fear of
repercussion.
Of course, without evidence, one
cannot accuse Wee or the ministry
of playing partisan politics. But
herein lies the problem. They can-
not escape public perception. The
fact that the entire teaching staff
was absent during the ceremony
indicates that an order did come
from somewhere. So they still have
a lot of explaining to do.
13
Hey, the mentri besar is coming
to your school lah! As the son of
a retired headmaster myself I can
vouch that it will be all hands on
deck when a VIP comes a-visiting.
As my dad served in Kelantan
I remember the number of times
he found himself in the middle of
political spats between some of the
Barisan Nasional-affiliated civil
service and the VIPs from PAS.
To solve his problem, he stopped
inviting VIPs from both camps to
school functions limiting the guests
of honour to the mosque imam and
former students who had done well
in life. At the end of the day, I think
our children are better off looking
up to such individuals rather than
so-called grown-ups who let petty
partisanship blot their responsibili-
ties.
Terence promises NOT to touch
on the MACC next week. He is
deputy editor (special reports &
investigations) and can be reached at
terence@thesundaily.com.
Kita is main organiser
IN THE footnote of the story yester-
day headlined “Long and winding
road to equality”, it was mentioned
that Prof. Dr Aneez Esmail would be
in Kuala Lumpur to speak on “Race
Relations: the British Experience” in
mid-June. The main organiser should
be the Institute of Ethnic Studies,
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
(Kita) and the co-organisers are the
Department of National Unity and
Integration and Juken Consultancy.