YOURSAY ‘Can we hope for change? I doubt very much.’

 

Perak ruler says cough lozenges will not cure graft

Kingfisher: Perak Sultan Nazrin Shah's concern about the disproportionate distribution of wealth is perceptive and troubling, especially for an emerging nation whose struggle for independence not more than 60 years ago was founded on principles of fair distribution of development for its citizens after more than 200 years of colonial exploitation.

 

Taking a cue from His Highness, what would be most troubling for the nation is if there are a sizable number of individuals in politics and in administration who possess assets disproportionate to the means of their livelihood.

 

In India, its judiciary has just this week made an example of convicting a state chief minister with a four-year prison term and a hefty fine running into millions of ringgit for possession of disproportionate assets.

 

It would be most welcome by many Malaysians if the sultan and the Council of Rulers could persuade more transparency in assets acquisition by those in positions of leadership in government.

 

Vijay47: I am sure His Highness did not intend his speech to be interpreted this way but it carries a suggestion that corruption is an evil that afflicts those "whose salaries do not commensurate with the daily cost of living".

 

The reality in Malaysia is that corruption is not merely practised by those who want to put food on the table. On the contrary, it is the pastime of those who want to build palaces, elegantly jet to London for shopping, and stylishly hop over to Paris for croissants.

 

Can we hope for change? I doubt very much. We have heard these noble, profound, inspiring speeches a million times before especially from those in power and we all know that they are just sounds that no one believes.

 

Perhaps we are not even expected to believe. If speech-making were an event at the Asian Games, PM Najib Razak would have won gold, silver, and bronze. Maybe at the Olympics also.

 

I would imagine that many of Malaysiakini subscribers while not quite in the Hermes league, at least enjoy a reasonable measure of comfort. Without being patronising in the least, how terribly sad it is to read of those who actually have only RM10 to withdraw from the ATM points.

 

Against this fact which shockingly affects an unbelievable proportion of Malaysians, we have those on the other side of the tracks who don't bat an eyelid spending thousands on a meal or the common man's lifetime wages on gaudy trifles.

 

It would have been fitting if His Highness had bluntly asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers he was addressing what their role and contributions were in eradicating this corruption sickness.

 

To most, MACC does not inspire confidence, not when their vision is selective, invariably unable to see the many elephants in the room. Strepsils may work for sore throats. For other more devastating epidemics, we need amputation.

 

Swipenter: Corruption has developed into an art form in Bolehland. The amount involved can run into hundreds of millions and to as little as RM10 depending on the size of the fish. As the saying goes "big fish has big appetite and a small fry has its own appetite".

 

Even MACC, the anti-corruption agency set up for the purpose of fighting corruption, has a perception and credibility problem of fighting this massive problem.

 

Over the past three decades, we have heard plenty of glowing speeches about fighting corruption and even had anti-corruption campaigns by prime ministers and top ruling politicians. But the scourge has even perceived to have grown more serious and widespread than ever.

 

Corruption has now even acquired a racial slant. Strepsils surely won't cure it. A bullet to the back of the head practiced in another country might not even be the answer, but really what is needed is the political will to stamp out corruption.

 

Abasir: In the course of diagnosing the disease, HRH could have defined the protean nature of corruption to include not merely the giving and taking of bribes (by those desperate to put food on the table) but also the officially proclaimed and widely adopted practice formally introduced by PM Najib Razak as 'You help me, I help you'.

 

If His Highness had taken comprehensive view of the scourge manifesting itself in multifarious forms, commercial transactions involving kickbacks to approving politicians and others along the parasitic approval chain, selective prosecution and harassment of citizens and public reprimands by beneficiaries of state largesse would also warrant "intensive treatment from social doctors and surgeons."

 

Quigonbond: There is this thing about making great speeches because one is not in power, and never be in power, like Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Believable, but useless.

 

Then there is the other variation about making great speeches when one is out of power, and calling it academic exercise when they are in power, like Rais Yatim.

 

Finally there's this variant - great speech, but moral legitimacy is suspect because of past transgressions of the particular household.

 

That's why rulers must never be seen as partisan, because the stain will never wash for generations. Of course, nothing beats the last category which is making promises not meant to be kept.

 

Anonymous #20513663: Your royal highness, our worsening Gini coefficient index is of course a problem, but ‘ampun’ Tuanku I would also like to suggest that your highness take a hard look at the industrial projects in the Kampung Aceh area in your 'realm', which is killing off all the turtles (80 percent drop in less than two decades if I remember correctly).

 

Who is behind them? How did they get their projects? Do they have any connection to the palace at all? Are they lacking in food, housing and basic necessities? Why are they allowed to disregard environmental concerns?

 

When your highness has studied these questions exhaustively, we would be very keen to hear your opinions on corruption. I'm sure the readers of Malaysiakini can suggest many other 'areas' which Tuanku can look into and where Tuanku can ask similar questions. Thank you.

 

Ablastine: The prescription is well-known. The cure is there but the IGP (inspector-general of police) is charging all the good doctors with sedition so that corruption and other social ills can take deeper roots. How not to die?

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