The silence and apparent collusion of law enforcement agencies like Bank Negara Malaysia, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in the increasing number of criminal breach of trust episodes, while whistleblowers get reprimanded, shows the lack of governance and a culture of blind obedience prevalent in the civil service.
The unaccounted flow of funds by the Finance Ministry-owned government-linked companies (GLCs) are frightening and worrying.
When billions of ringgit vanished, there was no red flag raised by any of the law enforcement agencies. If not for the independent business newspaper, The Edge, opposition lawmakers and civil rights groups who acted as whistleblowers, the RM42 billion debt incurred by 1MDB would not have been detected and publicly exposed.
The Malaysian law enforcement agencies, instead of protecting and complimenting the whistleblowers, are instead arresting and reprimanding them for their patriotic and brave acts.
The bureaucracy and law enforcement agencies as professional bodies are committed to deliver high quality services and display cost effectiveness and high integrity in the management of public funds. The civil service displays a culture of obedience and blind loyalty to the extent that they have become ineffective and inefficient. The question foremost is “Can the bureaucrats be trusted to safeguard the national coffers and are tax collections well managed?”
The evidence revealed in social and print media are beyond reasonable doubt that there is a prima facie case for law enforcement agencies to initiate an investigation. But the culture of obedience and blind loyalty to their political masters make them ineffective and lame ducks. The order of the day seems to be corruption and sweeping wrongdoings under the proverbial carpet.
The recent arrest and ban on opposition MPs, corporate executives and prominent leaders of civil rights groups from leaving the country imply that whatever wrongdoing or laundering Umno does, it can do no wrong.
Instead of responding to the issues raised, the law enforcement agencies are arresting and shutting the whistleblowers down. All the information of the alleged wrong doings is out for all sundry to see. What is the point of closing them down now?
But even in doing this, the enforcement agencies seem inefficient and the closure of such media seems profoundly late in the day... after the horses have galloped away. This has become the hallmark of our bloated bureaucracy.
This prolonged inaction by the Malaysian law enforcement agencies and the attempt to silence the critics and cover up a serious fiduciary crime has engendered a general lack of confidence in the governance or its ability to prudently manage financial resources. Of late rentiers, cronies and criminals have become chummy enough to walk and even seemingly own the corridors of power.
Honest, competent and dedicated people may never survive in the current culture prevalent in the Malaysian civil service. Whetever edge we had over our neighbours in the past, is now all gone. Where do we go from here?
S RAMAKRISHNAN is a former senator.
