Yes, there is corruption in Selangor and elsewhere

Within two months, my friend informed me that the application was successful. What he told me later was something which was so ‘common and normal’ and which I was trying to avoid right from the beginning – bribery, corruption, palm-greasing. There was one occasion when he had to pass a substantial amount of money to one senior officer of a state corporation in the car park of the building.

Paul Sir, Borneo Post

POPULAR blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has been making the news again this week.

I followed his blog quite closely over the past few days because he was talking about corruption – a subject which we should all pay serious attention to.

His focus was on graft in the Pakatan Rakyat-held Selangor. The heading in a news portal, ‘RPK: There is corruption in Selangor’ first caught my attention on Feb 7. Over the next few days, the fugitive blogger continued with doses of exposes about this unhealthy practice in the nation’s most industrialised and richest state.

Yes, I agree with RPK. There is corruption in Selangor. And this is why I can concur with the blogger’s verdict.

In 2009, I was approached by a businessman friend for help in his application for a piece of land in Shah Alam. He had applied three years earlier to the Selangor government, which was then helmed by Umno’s Datuk Dr Mohd Khir Toyo but was unsuccessful.

Following Pakatan’s takeover after the 2008 general elections, my friend sent in his application again but there was no news after a few months. It was at this time that he sought my help.

I told him that I would not be running around seeking favours from this officer or that politician in the Selangor government as that was not my way of dealing with the authorities. When he told me that he would be prepared to ‘grease the palms’ of some people in order to obtain the land, I replied that I was totally against such a practice.

I told him in no uncertain terms that he should reapply in the normal way with all the necessary documents in order.

After studying the details of the application, I thought it would be difficult for the state to reject it. It was for a piece of land of which three-quarters was covered in water. Literally, the land did not even exist but its location was strategic.

What my friend wanted to do was to fill up the shallow swamps to create a piece of land where he could build a warehouse. To verify what he told me, I also visited the site.

Now, given the ‘unique’ situation whereby someone was willing to turn waste swamp into useful land for commercial purposes, any sensible government would be more than happy to take up the offer. I was quite confident that his application would be successful without the ‘palm greasing’.

Up to this day, I’m not really sure why the businessman sought my help in the first place as I am not a politician and did not have any associates in the Selangor government. I thought he just knew that I could help in dealing with politicians and officialdom. I would not hesitate to speak my mind if those in authority lack in their duties.

However, at that time I was also busy with a personal project and did not pursue my friend’s application with the Selangor government. Instead, I introduced a close friend of mine to the businessman. After the introductory meeting, I left it to the two guys to pursue the matter. I was not aware of any private deal between them.

Within two months, my friend informed me that the application was successful. What he told me later was something which was so ‘common and normal’ and which I was trying to avoid right from the beginning – bribery, corruption, palm-greasing.

There was one occasion when he had to pass a substantial amount of money to one senior officer of a state corporation in the car park of the building.

The deal was also struck during a festive occasion and my friend told me that he had to give ‘goodwill money’ to several staff working in the state corporation.

As is always the case, my friend explained that this palm-greasing is normal. In fact, he did not have to offer any explanation. We all know this is the way of life in this country.

So corruption is a way of life, is it? So who do we blame here — the giver or taker or both? Or take the easy way out – blame the system.

The personal experience of mine in dealing with the Selangor government lends credence to RPK’s accusation that there is corruption in Selangor.

In the land deal, it was the civil servants who were corrupt. In RPK’s case, he blamed the elected representatives. Put the two corrupt teams together and you have a recipe for disaster.

While Pakatan Rakyat had declared that it was against corruption, the Selangor government still has a long way to go in fighting graft. Corruption is so entrenched within its civil service – the remnants of the previous administrations – that it takes strong political will to nip it in the bud.

Later, I brought up this case with a senior leader of an opposition party and he promised to look into it. It has been three years since and I have not been updated on the matter.

In his allegation against two elected representatives, RPK zeroed in on the sand deal. The case is a serious one as it also involved an allegation of murder.

Following RPK’s expose, Bukit Aman also responded with a clarification that the death of a Datuk three years ago has been classified as murder and not an accident.

We can expect more interesting developments in the weeks and months ahead.

So there is corruption in Selangor and of course, elsewhere too. The important thing is: Do we, Malaysians, wish to continue accepting corruption as a way of life?

There are only two choices for us here. One – see, hear and do nothing. Two – do something about it. The choice is yours.