Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) commends and lauds the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission’s impartial and meticulous efforts in uncovering and busting the government contract cartel reportedly headed by a wealthy and powerful Datuk.
The rakyat have been served with stories of scandals involving law enforcement agencies such as the immigration ring, protection within the police for scammers and well connected Datuks, and then the recent cartels within the police that seem to thwart even the IGP. Corruption appears to be rife within the civil service, which supports the distrust that the rakyat have in our government institutions and agencies, as surveyed in TI’s Global Corruption Barometer in 2020, where 71% of Malaysians believed the government was facing major corruption issues.
The Civil Service is meant to administer and provide for the needs of the nation using our tax money; Civil Servants bear the privilege and honour of serving a cause greater than themselves to uplift society. It is a betrayal of our trust and an embarrassment that some members of the civil service would rather enrich criminals in exchange for some gratification, instead of helping their own countrymen and nation.
The Government Contract Cartel busted by the MACC was reported to have hundreds of companies which belonged to the aforementioned Datuk, registered under the names of other individuals, and these companies would all bid and win government contracts, only for these contracts to be under the control of the mastermind Datuk. Bumiputera contractors, and bumiputeras are the biggest losers because honest bumiputera companies are losing out on these contracts, despite the government’s efforts for decades to uplift the bumiputera through well planned affirmative action policies aimed at government contracts.
The contract cartels are robbing honest entrepreneurs of their chance to carry out development projects for the nation, and robbing fellow citizens of quality development, just so a handful may have private helicopters and cars worth millions of ringgit. Luxury vehicles worth RM15.7 million and other assets including bungalows, shop houses and offices worth RM29 million were also seized arising from the raid at the Datuk’s house.
Corruption by civil servants is a betrayal of trust and such corruption ruins the nation.
Kudos to the MACC; let there be no impunity for the rich and powerful who gain their wealth through corrupt means and for those who help them to do so.
End.
