MP SPEAKS Malaysia's CPI Rank for 2012 has improved only slightly, but three main thrusts of battle against corruption still have gaping holes.

Indeed, one should not take too much comfort in the fact that Malaysia improved in the ranking because it overtook ‘luminaries' of ‘clean' government such as Jordan, Namibia, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Indeed, many developing countries that have far lower per capita GDP compared with Malaysia continue to do better than us in their CPI rankings, including Rwanda (50), Bhutan (33) and Botswana (30), not to mention the newly industrialised economies (NIEs) in Asia, namely South Korea (45), Taiwan (37), Hong Kong (14) and Singapore (5).

azlan More worryingly, the three major thrusts of the Fighting Corruption National Key Results Area (NKRA) under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) - namely, to strengthen the anti-corruption enforcement agencies and legislation, to tackle grand corruption and to reduce leakages from government procurement - continue to have gaping holes when it comes to delivery and execution.

For example, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) remains very much a toothless tiger and dependent on the attorney-general to prosecute cases.

This explains why, despite numerous policy reports, allegations and investigative pieces made against the chief ministers of Sarawak and Sabah, most notably by the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), the attorney-general has refused to make any charges against these two BN leaders.

No effect, as long as MACC is not independent

And as long as the MACC is not independent or seen as independent, even legislation such as the Whistleblowers Protection Act will not have any substantive long-term effect in reducing corruption.

NONE After all, this is the same anti-corruption agency that investigated a supposed RM2,000 misallocation of funds case by a Selangor executive councillor, which eventually led to the still unsolved death of the political aide of Ean Yong Han Wah, Teoh Beng Hock (left) , while the real ‘crocodiles' are left free to continue to devour the resources of the state.

This was the same MACC that investigated Customs officer Ahmad Sarbani, who also died from a fall while under its custody.

From a perception perspective, there is little doubt that the MACC has not been strengthened in such a way as to allow it to do its job, without fear or favor.

There is also no sign that grand corruption has been effectively tackled by the Fighting Corruption NKRA.

Nearly all of the cases that appear in the ‘Name and Shame' public database are small cases involving relatively ‘small fish'.

NONE It is of no surprise that the big fish continue to escape attention, especially given statements such as the one made by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, brushing aside the RM40 million money laundering attempt by Michael Chia as a ‘political donation' to Sabah Umno and to ignore evidence that the same Michael Chia had generously ‘lent' a half-million-ringgit luxury Hummer to his son.

Even the prosecution of the supposed big fish in the PKFZ RM12.6 billion scandal - namely former Transport Ministers Dr Ling Liong Sik and Chan Kong Choy - have not been properly concluded.

This leads one to wonder if these cases will follow in the footsteps of the cases against former Sabah Umno minister, Kasitah Gaddam, and former Perwaja chairman, Eric Chia, both of whom were charged with corruption, and with great fanfare, prior to the 2004 general election - and who were both subsequently released.

Last, but definitely not the least, there remain glaring exceptions to the efforts to reduce leakages in government procurement.

Deliberate delay in releasing audit report

The release of the Auditor-General's 2011 Report was delayed until two weeks into the budget debates, making it difficult for MPs to raise important issues related to weak oversight and controls in government procurement.

NONE Furthermore, no action has been taken by the MACC, or by the attorney-general, to charge those responsible for mismanaging government procurements (including those infamous RM56,350 binoculars for the Marine Parks Department that is actually worth not more than RM1,940).

In addition, the government continues to operate under a cloud of secrecy in land deals that could raise many billions of ringgit of revenue for the government but were instead sold at way below market value to a government agency, namely 1MDB.

NONE Most recently, carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan (left) made explosive allegations against not only Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah, but also against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak himself, over a RM100 million land for a contract to build a National Defence Research Centre (Puspahanas), allegations that Najib is yet to respond to.

With such grievous and gaping holes in the fighting corruption initiatives and efforts, Malaysians cannot take any comfort in the slight improvement in the country's CPI ranking.

What Malaysians should take comfort in is the fact that Pakatan Rakyat leaders will continue to expose the corruption and abuses of power under the present BN government, which shows no sign of changing its old habits.

kelantan 020308 big bn poster What Malaysians should take comfort in is the fact that the Pakatan state governments, especially in Penang and Selangor, have shown how transparency and the responsible management of government resources can translate into increased surpluses and reserves, while benefitting the larger public at the same time.

What Malaysians should take comfort in is the fact that the opportunity to vote out this corrupt BN government in the next general election will come very soon.

Only under a Pakatan government can the roots of corruption in this country, which has been governed uninterruptedly by a bankrupt and corrupt BN, be eradicated and the perception of a Malaysia that is increasingly less corrupt be grounded in reality.

LIM KIT SIANG is DAP parliamentary leader and Ipoh Timor MP