ADUN SPEAKS | The MACC chief's request for the opposition parties to submit the names of possible candidates for the next general election is really much ado about nothing.

The MACC might give the impression it is an active public agency embarked on the trial to mitigate the scourge of corruption in the country. But then, sad to say, MACC hardly has the moral position to combat corruption or to request opposition parties for such list.

There is nothing in the law that states that political parties must submit the names of their candidates, to be screened by MACC before elections. Yes, the BN might have done so, for whatever reason, but then the commission cannot use this an example.

Unfortunately, MACC has neither the moral legitimacy nor the power of public persuasion to force something on the Malaysian public.

If MACC is regarded as a fearless agency in combating the scourge of corruption even if there is no law, political parties in the country would have no option but to submit to the will of public pressure in giving the names of the candidates, rather than bending to the pressure exerted by MACC.

Right now, unfortunately, MACC is not regarded as such, but merely an agency of the executive. Yes, the agency might have received much publicity recently by going after certain individuals both in the public and private sector for their involvement in corruption, but it lacks the teeth to go after the "big fish," especially those involved in mega corruption scandals.

It might be a good idea for political parties to submit the list of their candidates for public scrutiny, but MACC is hardly in a position to do this. Just because the BN is doing this, does not make the request for the list a legitimate one.

While MACC might be receiving maximum publicity in its war against corruption, it is sad to say that it is only going after the "small fish." Even some of the recent arrests have been questioned as politically motivated.

There have been a number of mega scandals in the country, but unfortunately,  MACC has not deemed to give them importance in terms of arresting those involved in the scandals.

To date, it could be anybody's knowledge as to why MACC is rather reticent on those who have been involved in the 1MDB mega-scandal; this is even after the US Department of Justice had named certain Malaysian individuals.

Now if the MACC lacks the courage in dealing with those who have ruined and bankrupted a sovereign fund like the 1MDB, then what morality does the agency have in asking for a list of possible candidates, especially from the opposition front?

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang is right in saying that he would support the efforts of MACC, provided the public agency is ready to forbid BN candidates from contesting the next general election if they are found to be involved in major financial scandals like 1MDB. Is MACC ready to do this?

A recent poll gave extremely low marks to MACC. Of those interviewed, 90 percent said that the commission is not a neutral agency, but a "tool" of the Prime Minister's office.

If this is the public perception of MACC, then what hope we have in combating and eradicating corruption in the country?

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.