Bersih says 'can't just rely on trust' after PAC deputy promises to recuse self

Bersih said ensuring processes that guarantee good governance is important and people should not merely be made to rely on trust and promises.

Its chairperson Thomas Fann said this in response to Wong Kah Woh, who had stated that he will not resign from his position as Public Accounts Committee (PAC) deputy chairperson despite his appointment as Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) chairperson, a government entity.

Instead, Wong promised to recuse himself if the PAC, which is in charge of providing oversight on the government, was to audit Seda.

"What is important is that there are clear processes put in place for appointments.

"If it is based on the promise that ‘I will recuse myself if it comes to this', then we are saying that the process is not important.

"That setting a good example is not important - ‘You just trust me, when the time comes I'll do the right thing'," Fan told a press conference in Petaling Jaya today.

Fann said a system must be built based on more than just a promise.

"There have to be good legal processes in how he was appointed and why he was appointed. I'm sure there are a lot of qualified people out there," he said.

He was asked to respond to Wong's (below) assurance after concerns were raised that there could be a conflict of interest over his position in a government entity as well as the PAC which is supposed to keep the government in check.

On a separate issue, Fann concurred with MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya's call for whistleblowers to pass information to the graft buster.

However, he said the MACC must inspire confidence for whistleblowers to trust the commission with the information they have.

"There is a logic to it. If there is a hot or sensitive issue, the information should be passed on to the authorities to investigate, in this case, the MACC.

"But we also need assurance from the MACC that whistleblowers won't become victims and are investigated when they give information like in the past," he said.

Latheefa had urged whistleblowers to pass information to the MACC and not leak them to the media.

She had likened the leaking of information to the public before MACC could investigate a case of "sabotage". - Mkini