G25 adviser: Without reforms, next PM will do same thing

If there are no institutional reforms on the checks and balances system in the country, the next prime minister would just repeat the actions of his predecessors, said former Finance Ministry secretary-general Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim.

"Sadly, this (checks and balances) is lacking in our country.

"If we have strong checks and balances, we don't have to worry who becomes the prime minister.

"When you don't have (strong checks and balances), the next one will do the same thing," he said in a forum on 1MDB in Petaling Jaya today.

Sheriff, who is also a G25 adviser, said an issue like 1MDB would have resulted in an open parliamentary enquiry in a country like the UK.

This way, he said, they could find out who was responsible for the scandal so that the attorney-general could prosecute.

Meanwhile, Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) executive director Cynthia Gabriel said it is up to the citizens to effect changes in the country.

"That thing about not giving it a rest, it really is in our hands.

"That's what we need to do. We need to keep talking about it," she said.

One of the things she suggested is for more people to be active citizen journalists, by "following the kleptocracy" in the country.

"Follow how rich they (political leadership) are. Follow unexplained wealth," she said.

People need to become more active about monitoring and scrutinising political leadership in the country, she said, and posting pictures of unexplained wealth.

"We need to look at our people in power, the political leadership. With this much salary, can they actually earn huge luxury houses and things like that," she said.- Mkini