Paul Low brushes off TI-M member's criticism

Video | 25:52 minutes

Outgoing Transparency International - Malaysia (TI-M) president Paul Low said he would refer fellow member Koris Attan to the NGO’s executive committee for possible disciplinary action, including dismissal.

 

Koris ( right ) had previously raised questions about Low’s integrity including his conduct at TI-M’s annual general meeting (AGM) in April, but Low countered that Koris was not even present at the meeting and is thus not privy to its proceedings.

 

“The committee will have to see what sanctions (can be taken on) a member who does such things. If you are a Transparency International member, you have to be credible, so he can be removed,” he told Malaysiakini in a phone call yesterday.

 

Responding to Koris’ allegation, the newly appointed minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said the committee had in fact endorsed him in allowing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to sign the corruption watchdog’s Election Integrity Pledge .

 

This was because there were no restrictions on who can or cannot sign the pledge as long as he is running for office in the 13th general election.

Koris also suggested that Najib's signing of the integrity plan may be a deal to help Low's entry into cabinet.

 

Can't enforce TI-M pledge

 

In a joint interview with KiniTV and Malaysiakini on Friday, he also said that TI-M is in no position to enforce the pledge or judge any individual.

 

He said that the intention was for the public to judge Najib and others who have signed the pledge. By signing the pledge, he also makes his contact information public, through which members of the public can provide feedback.

 

When asked why can’t TI-M comment on the issue as a watchdog body, Low did not provide a direct answer.

 

Instead, he said, “We have to look for a new pledge now, because that pledge was for elections… So now, post-elections, we could consider a political pledge for members of parliament, for example."

 

Low had been under fire from several opposition politicians, including DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, who questioned his silence over the alleged misconduct.

 

Won't fingers cabinet colleagues

 

When asked whether he is willing to publicly point out cabinet colleagues suspected of graft, Low dismissed the need to do so.

 

“Why call out? To me, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) can conduct investigations, no problem.

 

“If I improve the infrastructure and the institutional capacity, why do I need to call out? Not only one case, but every case. They are independents,” he said.

 

On his conduct at the AGM, Low claimed that the issue was on the interpretation of TI-M constitution whether Low was eligible to seek re-election.

 

TI-M’s constitution stipulates a term limit of three consecutive terms, but questions were raised whether it included a term that was cut short in 2009 when the NGO had a leadership crisis .

 

Low claimed that the AGM’s chairperson Indrani Thuraisgham eventually ruled that he was fit to seek re-election, because the constitution also said that three terms is six years, while Low has only served four.

 

Not a 'Chinese representative'

 

He also denied that he was picked for his ministerial post to represent the Chinese Malaysian community in the cabinet, or that he was appointed to the National Economic Action Council in 1998 by virtue of being an MCA member.

 

He said the 1998 appointment was purely in his capacity as the then president of the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM).

 

Low also said that he does not subscribe to the notion of race-based politics, and his previous membership in MCA was only an ‘entrance ticket’ to the National Economic Consultative Council I (NECCI) set up in 1991.

 

“As far as I’m concern, whether there is Chinese or no Chinese representation in the cabinet, it does not matter to me.

 

“If someone can look after Chinese Malaysian interests, I think it’s well and good. I believe we should move away from race-based politics,” he said.

 

Can't wait for BN to reform

 

To a question, he said it is up to BN politicians to reform their parties, but he could not wait until that happens before agreeing to join their government.

 

“So what is left is the situation like this, I try to do my best. I just joined and at the same time, they all know my views.

 

“They have the responsibility to change. People know that. Today, the public, especially the younger generation, are less inclined to support race-based parties,” he said.

 

When the NECCI was formed in 1991 to discuss a future plan that would replace the New Economic Policy (NEP), Low said he and a few other felt the need to participate but almost all of its 150 seats were allocated to Umno and MCA.

 

“Incidentally, the entrance ticket of a lifetime (MCA) membership was RM100, so we paid the admission and forgot about it,” he laughed.

 

He said that since he did not have any political agenda, he did not contest for any party posts.

 

No longer TI-M chief by Friday

 

He resigned from the party in 2009 when his impartiality was questioned upon his appointment to head a committee to investigate the multi-billion ringgit PKFZ scandal involving former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik.

 

Low also told Malaysiakini that he could not have resigned from his current TI-M post before accepting his appointment to be a minister because the appointment is a secret until a formal announcement has been made.

 

In addition, he had only agreed to the appointment on the night before the cabinet line-up was announced on May 15.

 

He said he will formally step down from TI-M, as required by its constitution, in meeting on Friday so that there can be a formal handover to his successor.

 

In addition, he said will be resigning from his directorship in two companies and his council membership in the FMM to avoid conflicts of interest.