Kadir Jasin thinks one should never lose hope but still has his doubts on the MACC chief's pledge on the twin mega scandals and the SRC International case.
KUALA LUMPUR: A veteran newsman is all for praying that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed was stating the truth in a media interview on the twin mega scandals and the SRC International case.
“Deep down in my heart, I fear that it could be a ruse.”
“I fear that his proclamation of independence has a hidden reason i.e. to establish credibility so that if ever the MACC were to find no case against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the public would be forced to believe it.”
Former New Straits Times Group Editor-in-Chief, Kadir Jasin, said that his generation remembers the Bank Rakyat, the Bumiputra Malaysia Finance (BMF) and the Tabung Haji scandals. “They were insignificant compared to the ongoing 1MDB scandal, the Prime Minister’s RM2.6 billion political ‘donation’ controversy and the SRI International corruption cases.”
He warned in his latest blog posting of the dangers of complicity. “The rakyat are watching every move made by the people associated with the Prime Minister.”
He lists Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi among them. He also includes “warrior-ministers” like Salleh Said Keruak, Abdul Rahman Dahlan and Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz in the list.
Elsewhere, there are senior civil servants in the list: Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali, Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, Chief Secretary to the Government Ali Hamsa, the Secretary-General of the Finance Ministry Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and 1MDB Chief Arul Kanda Kandasamy.
Sooner or later, said Kadir, they will be made to account for their role in the twin mega scandals and the SRI International case.
He’s reminded of the fine civil servants and public sector executives who ended up going to jail while their political masters went scot-free or were only lightly punished. “The reputation of these civil servants and public sector executives were destroyed, their family dignity gone forever. They spent the rest of their days as outcasts.”
It’s no longer possible to stop the information from leaking and flowing into public domain, warned Kadir. “Mulut tabuh boleh disumbat, mulut orang bagaimana menyumbatnya. You can muzzle the sound of the drums but you cannot muzzle the voice of the people.”
He fears the perpetrators may try and may even succeed in hiding behind the bastion of power in the short term. They may even be willing to bring down the whole country with them, but they cannot run away from the truth forever.
Even if attempts were made to sabotage investigations and cover-up wrongdoings, the truth will finally be known, said Kadir. “Whether in the court of law or in the court of public opinion, the truth will surface.”
He recalled a Malay proverb: “Mulut tempayan boleh ditutup, mulut manusia bagaimana menutupnya. (A loose cannon can be silenced, but not the mouths of the people).”
“Far too many people know the truth about the scandals and are not willing to be accused of complicity to hinder justice.”
Again, the veteran newsman was concedeing that perhaps the worse thing that could happen in any struggle was to lose hope. “So let us not lose hope.”
“Let us pray that there are still a few good men and women out there.”
It’s in that spirit that Kadir, on second thoughts, is willing to give the benefit of the doubt to Abu Kassim who said in the media interview that investigations into the Prime Minister’s scandals were “independent”.
Kadir was commenting on Abu Kassim telling the independent Sinar Harian newspaper, in an exclusive interview, about the most challenging cases he has ever investigated in his entire career. Abu Kassim added that members of the investigating team carried out their duties as best and as professionally as possible.
Abu Kassim said that even though there are all sorts of perceptions about the twin mega scandals and the SRC case, he pledged that as long as he’s the MACC’s Chief Commissioner, investigations would be conducted professionally. “When we have a case, we will present our recommendations in the investigation paper. And they are truly based on merit,” Abu Kassim was quoted as saying, noted Kadir.
Abu Kassim went on to pledge elsewhere that no quarters would be allowed to influence the Commission. He said that this was the promise he made to his officers. “The truth will finally be known,” said Kadir. “Abu Kassim, his men and women cannot back down or be cowed.”
“They have taken too much risk and made too many promises to the public.”
In the Sinar Harian interview, reminded Kadir, Abu Kassim said the people would learn the truth behind the RM2.6 billion in Najib’s personal accounts when the time was right. “Abu Kassim has promised the truth,” pointed out Kadir. “The MACC has to fulfil these promises or the Commission is as good as dead.”
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