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The reasoning by Nazri Aziz that prosecutors lost many corruption cases because witnesses turn hostile, is weak and nonsensical, because it does not address why witnesses turn hostile in the first place.

Is there an underhand tactic by the powerful to cajole the witness? If there is such an action, who are those responsible? Has our so-called attorney-general taken action against this people? Has there been a police investigation?

What are the specific cases that have gone wrong? Has a solution been sought to solve this unfortunate problem of witnesses turning hostile?

As for the Lingam case the evidence has been authenticated by the royal commission of inquiry and yet the minister in Prime Ministers Department says Lingam has not broken any law. So what is the purpose of setting up the royal commission of inquiry in the first place? Why is the attorney-general not made accountable for a decision that has created more questions than answers? Unless answers are honestly given for these questions, our corruption index will continue to fall.

 

The truth is the Malaysian government is not serious in combatting corruption because it is rooted in a feudal authoritarian culture where influential political elites such as the prime minister and his deputy and those who are aligned to them are immune from prosecution.

During every general election money has been spent indiscriminately and government institutions have been abused without any accountability, and yet not a single government leader has been prosecuted.

The dark truth is, corruption is not a perception problem of Malaysians as the MACC advisors and Transparency International would like us to believe; rather it is the reality. We have one incompetent attorney general who has failed in corruption cases and yet he still sticks to his position. The answer is obvious: he has been a great help to the ruling coalition in prosecuting political rivals, and he will remain in his post for eternity if possible.

 

Therefore it is time for Malaysians to reflect and pressure the government of the day to take a no-nonsense approach in combatting corruption. The ruling party is too engrossed in (playing on) ethnic rights for its survival, that it would it do anything at all costs to hold on to power.

The end would justify the means, and the only way to change this behaviour is through a concerted and consistent demand for accountability through existing democratic channels, and not wait till elections.

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