YOURSAY 'Yes, MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamed, you cannot charge people with stupidity but we can sack them for it.'

We can't charge people with stupidity, says MACC chief

your say, YoursayOriole: What a nonsensical answer from MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamad. So we do not hold people responsible for misusing public funds because we now call it stupidity and carelessness?

This is the stupidest explanation for MACC choosing not to take action. Abu Kassim should be honest and just say that MACC dares not investigate and take action as long as there's possibility of abuses being traced back to Umno.

But such scruples did not exist when questioning the late DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock, it looks like.

So to take this same logic to an extreme if I am careless and stupid in the way I drive my vehicle and cause injury to others, no action will be taken as it was carelessness and stupidity? MACC grow some balls.

Not Confused: When I first read this headline, I immediately thought that Abu Kassim was referring to our erstwhile home minister, and nearly fell off my chair laughing.

Chandran Sukumaran: I have no words to describe, whether to laugh or cry. My heart bleeds. We must stop this organised corruption. But how, when and by who?

Onyourtoes: Excuses and more excuses. How do we interpret stupidity and carelessness? When we appoint an officer or promote someone to a higher position, did we not look at that person's qualifications, temperament and intelligence?

How did a careless or a stupid person become the head of a ministry or agency? Is the head of MACC stupid and careless too? How we characterise a behaviour really depends on whether we are serious in wanting to tackle the malfeasance in the civil service.

Carelessness could be breach of trust. Stupidity could be a camouflage for corruption and abuse of power.

Guna Otak Sikit: Well, it seems like the MACC knows the reason for all the abuses even before investigations are carried out. Year after year, the story is the same. No action from MACC.

I'm not sure how they come up with the high conviction rates when all they do is to give excuses for all the abuses. Private companies sure do not accept stupidity as an excuse.

The people involved will get sacked immediately. Is the MACC saying all the abuses over all the years are due to stupidity? Are you stupid or am I?

Old Timer: Dear Mr Abu Kassim, perhaps you should go after the officers in the government who employ these people who do such stupid things year after year, wasting taxpayers' money.

You have hit the nail on the head, so why employ stupid people when there are smarter ones around?

Watchtower: Yes, you can't charge people for stupidity. What then do you want the rakyat to do when increasingly such personality are holding important positions managing our resources and suppose to discharge their duty with due diligent and care on behalf of the people.

Because nobody wants to do the right thing in the civil service is what pains us most when the audit report come out every year. The common moral issue is when you don't want to do the right thing step aside, don't appoint them.

And when all these keep happening year after year, then element of corruption must be imputed instead of stupidity.

Tenfold: All the heads of the 'enforcement' agencies are turning up as jokers. If you pay RM3,000 for something that is only worth about RM50, do you just regard the fellow who authorised it as being just stupid?

If he/she was/is that stupid, how on earth did that person achieve a position of authority?

Going by Abu Kassim's argument, then Abdul Taib Mahmud, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim Zainuddin, and a whole bunch of them in the BN, and by extension those in the government service, are all stupid.

So stupid that they are mega rich. Welcome to Malaysia, a land of possibilities.

Ferdtan: Yes, Abu Kassim, you cannot charge people with stupidity but we can sack them for it. We are talking about your position as MACC chief.

When billions of dollars are lost due to various reasons and when you treat it so lightly then you are not fit to be the chief watchdog of corruption. Tell us what is your role?

When there are allegations of possible frauds of such magnitude officially from Auditor-General's Department, MACC is not only obliged but it is its sacred duty to investigate before dismissing it in such an off-hand manner.

The public perception is that MACC only acts aggressively on allegations against the opposition leaders. When it concerns BN leaders or its cronies, MACC is seen to protect them by making light of the offences.

And for clear-cut and serious offences, they often dragged their feet in investigation, sometimes to a few years hoping Malaysians have short memory, and then when pressed, it would be declared NFA (no further action).

The perception of the rot in MACC will never go away in spite of the recent anti- corruption radio campaigns we hear asking for cooperation from the public in fighting corruption.

JJ: You mean a person can deliberately commit corruption and then claim carelessness or stupidity and go scot free? And this statement is coming from MACC who is supposed to safeguard the integrity of the nation.

ZhangFei: I'm speechless. Stupidity is the trend among those in civil service.

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