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With the government asking for supplementary funds, it needs to be said that there is a need for pushing for funding for enforcement agencies in Malaysia.

For far too long, we have seen the budgets for enforcement agencies such as Customs, police, land transport and even local councils slashed or misappropriated away from getting more agents out and about on the streets.

While Malaysia’s Customs Department has seen a large increase due to the switch to the goods and services tax (GST), there was no mention of an increase for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Road Transport Department (JPJ), the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM), the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) even the Competitions Commission (MyCC).

I’m missing one more; the Forestry Department or Perhilitan. Honestly, with what happened in Kelantan, Pahang and more specifically Genting, one would have perhaps asked for a total overhaul of the department to protect whatever was left.

If the government is serious in stopping crime including corruption, monopolies and even robberies on a large scale, both laws and funding need to be pushed to these federal agencies to hire the best and brightest to stop crimes which cause leakages to the government’s coffers.

Plenty of cash is being lost in the absence of proper enforcement in the form of either tax dollars or swindles and siphons involving millions of ringgit either from private companies, government agencies and even individuals.

How much money is being lost through illegal logging? How much is the subsequent losses due to natural disasters such as landslides and floods?

The earliest estimates for the recent flooding experienced by half the states in the Malaysian federation was RM16 billion and rising.

Similarly, an analysis of the auditor general report shows misappropriations aplenty in government agencies which should be investigated further by the MACC, if they had resources.

With the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry now in witchhunt mode against those irresponsibly raising prices, more agents will be needed to investigate complaints from consumers, especially now that they have launched an app which shows the price of sundry items.

In fact, even the minister lamented the lack of officers to enforce control on the prices of goods don’t skyrocket during the GST implementation.

Similarly, an issue closer to me; the sale of contraband or smuggled cigarettes.

Anti-cigarette smuggling ops on the back burner

While most of the Customs Department has been sidetracked and attention diverted to dealing with the impending GST, the enforcement against cigarette smuggling has been on the back burner.

Most possibly for the past three years. With an estimate of RM2 billion lost annually, that would have made up the RM5.5 billion cut from government agencies during the budget with RM500 million to spare.

All these are leakages which would have trickled cash to the coffers of both the federal and state governments. Of course, none of them are either sexy nor involving any way for anyone to make a quick buck.

Could be either a good or bad thing, depending on your view.

But such enforcement would also guarantee a non-income return as well; vigilance and trust.

The moves above would actually guarantee that the people would trust the agencies enough to report crime and complaints of just where the government is lacking in the implementation and enforcement of the law.

But the government must also allow these agencies another ability; independence.

For some time now, cases of investigations on corruption have been stymied by the lack of prosecution.

As an example, while we all get to read the published Auditor-General’s Report every year, we never hear a single case in court of anyone being brought to justice over such waste.

It seems as if there is also a need to address just why that happens. There needs to be accountability among civil servants from the lowly clerk all the way up to the ministers and the attorney-general for failing to make sure somebody pays one way or another for such rampant corruption.

And until this goes through, people will be ever more critical when this government insists on asking for more money through a supplementary budget or even the introduction of taxes.

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