It's showtime for Pakatan Rakyat

The alleged 30% ‘rebate’ issue in Kedah has finally given the BN an opportunity to attack the Pakatan Rakyat.

However, a crisis might also turn into a turning point if it is handled well. In other words, if the state government is able to settle it nicely, it can help repair the damaged image. Otherwise, if they present only a scapegoat and leave the issue unsettled, it would set another bad record for the state government.

The Kedah Pakatan Rakyat should have learned a lesson from the exposure of the BN's weaknesses in crisis management, through the way it handles the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal.

A personal assistant to Kedah state executive councillor Tan Chow Kang @ Tan Joo Long held a press conference on 13 February 2012 to strongly denied the allegations that he had asked for 30% of "rebate money" from allocations given to Chinese associations in Kedah. However, Tan confirmed a few hours later that he has suspended the personal assistant from work, following an order from PKR vice-president Tian Chua.

Remli has been appointed as Tan's personal assistant after the 2008 general election. In addition to allocations for Sidam, Remli also handled allocations for Bakar Arang, a constitution adopted by Tan after its elected representative Tan Wei Shu quit the party. The total allocation of the two constituencies for last year was RM480,000, and 30% should then be RM144,000.

Since Remli has firmly denied the allegations, the state government should then form a small group to transparently investigate the allegations and find out the involved officials, middlemen and contractors.

If the allegations are found true and the finding is supported by sufficient evidence, they should then lodge a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). In addition to serve as a warning to others, it can also create a clean atmosphere for the state administration.

If the state government and the Pakatan Rakyat can handle it without bias and introduce a more robust funding system, it can then win a good reputation. It can also prove that the Pakatan Rakyat respects the spirit of the rule of law, is able to act appropriately for righteousness and can do better than the BN.

Excessive tolerance and the attitude of muddling along over all these years have made law violations, including corruption, become a culture.

For example, the 2006 misappropriation of public fund for urgent school repair projects in two Chinese Primary Schools in Muar District, where RM 30,000 project allocation was found to have been short-changed for only RM3000 worth workdone, has changed the funding approach to directly deposit funds into school board's accounts. However, no one knows whether fund misappropriation has been curbed or not. Instead, almost everyone knows that government projects have many problems.

The pursuit of responsibility for the NFC scandal has also been relaxed. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz thinks that it is not necessary for Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to resign, but should just compensate the government RM250 million. Could the responsibility for misappropriation of loans be shaken off just by making a compensation?

Meanwhile, the police wonders how could foreign streetwalkers keep returning after being sent back to their original countries. Therefore, the police has demanded a strict entry and exit control. It reminds us of the release of eight immigration officials allegedly involved in human trafficking activities and being detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), in August last year. If they were charged in court, the culprits behind the scene could be found and the Immigration could be rectified.

The Pakatan Rakyat has been criticising before this and it is now the time for it to demonstrate a good example. If it screws things up, it would then be the pot calling the kettle black!

-Sin Chew Daily