theSun | FRIDAY MARCH 13 2009 œ 15

speak up! RUKUN NEGARA: THE PRINCIPLES

BELIEF LOYALTY TO KING THE SUPREMACY THE RULE COURTESY AND
IN GOD AND COUNTRY OF THE OF LAW MORALITY
CONSTITUTION

THE OBJECTIVES
TO achieve greater unity TO maintain a TO create a just society in TO ensure a liberal approach TO build a progressive society
among Malaysians democratic way of life which the wealth of the nation to her rich and diverse which shall be oriented to modern
shall be equitably shared cultural traditions science and technology

in the sights of Tokyo, Hongkong long list of abuses will appear.

and Seoul? It could not have been But that’s not the end of it.

Taking the Mickey just one person. My guess is that

a rombongan travelled first class,
stayed in five-star hotels and had a
stretch-limousine at their service.
Let’s look at what that money could
have been used for: a well-equipped
Elsewhere in this newspaper,
Terence Fernandez exposes how
instruments of the state were used
to steal land, bordering on fraud. In
the next few days, more will follow.
How do we put an end to all this?

out of our money

IN MAY last year, Assistant Super-
intendents Wan Zainal Wan Mat
and Albany Hamzah turned up at
the office to record my statement
relating to police investigations into
the transfer of funds from the Asso-
ciation of Wives of State Assembly-
men and Members of Parliament in
Selangor (Balkis). They had every
reason to because it was theSun
that first exposed a major wrongdo-
ing – the illegal transfer of RM9.9
million from the Balkis bank ac-
count. To whom it was transferred
is academic because the mere
misappropriation of funds consti-
tutes an offence. Like efficient police
officers, I had expected them to ask
me intelligent questions with a view
to gathering evidence to prosecute
the wrongdoers.
However, that was not the case.
Instead, they were more interested
in the source of my story and where
I had obtained information. They
were not ordinary konstabel but
officers with rank of ASP, who
were directed by the head of the
Commercial Crime Division of the
police headquarters in Bukit Aman.
Debate into their investigations will
be purely academic because from
their line of questioning, they were
not interested in the message but
were more interested in nailing the
messenger. Despite indisputable
proof that almost RM10 million
was removed from a bank account,
nothing has happened and I am
resigned to the fact that there are
different values for different people.
A jobless mother who shoplifts a
tin of infant formula is sent to the
slammer while the VIP wives are
free to walk around showing off
their designer clothes, jewellery
and other ill-gotten gains.
But what emerged at the Selangor
State Assembly on Wednesday, by
the lowest of all standards, should
prompt the two ASPs to wake up
to the fact that there has not only
been illegal transfer of funds meant
for the poor, but also abuse of
CitizenNades
by R. Nadeswaran
power. If a state-owned company is
directed to pay for VIP wives to
watch Mickey Mouse and Donald
Duck in Tokyo, it no longer is child-
play or holiday for the less fortunate
and the needy. It is systematic
looting of state assets for private
pleasures which can be summed
up only as total and gross
misuse and abuse of power – far
more serious than slaughtering
cows and distributing the meat to
the needy.
Let’s draw an analogy. If say,
the Malaysian Red Crescent Society
which relies on the public for funds
decides to take its senior officials on
a skiing holiday in the French Alps,
do we as ordinary citizens have a
right to question such a move? So,
when Balkis, which purports to be
a caring organisation committed
to welfare of the needy, resorts to
million-ringgit holidays, don’t we
have a right to ask questions?
Who were the Balkis members
who (mis)used our money to take
health clinic or a feeding pro-
gramme for 40,000 primary school
pupils who go to classes on an
empty stomach. Yet, these women
can pass themselves off as caring
wives of politicians and splash the
money on a holiday.
This newspaper has previously
chronicled the wrongs in Syarikat
Despite indisputable proof
that almost RM10 million was
removed from a bank account,
nothing has happened and I am
resigned to the fact that there are
different values for different people. consent and appoint the best
Permodalan Selangor Berhad, the
Selangor Economic Development
Corporation and other state-owned
companies. The authorities who
are tasked with enforcing the law
watched with folded arms for rea-
sons known to only them. It must be
said that such abuse is not restricted R. Nadeswaran’s guess is that the
to Selangor. Even in federal agen-
cies and government departments,
people’s money has been used to
entertain and enjoy. When the oil
prices sky-rocketed a few months
ago, the Treasury issued a cost-
cutting directive. Compare that
directive with the expenses of these
agencies and departments and a
The answer is simple – make
the wrongdoers pay for their
wrongdoings and misuse of power.
But it is easier said than done. First,
the powers-that-be must have the
will and determination to expose
their wrongdoings. Secondly, a
set of professional auditors must
be go through the accounts with
a fine-tooth comb. Thirdly,
law enforcement agencies
(armed with the findings)
must investigate and produce
a watertight case. Finally and
more importantly, the public
prosecutor must give his
legal brains to bring them to
book. Let them repent in jail and
reflect how they used the poor
and the needy as a front to benefit
themselves and their families. But
the inevitable question is: Are we
serious about seeing justice done?
perpetrators in the Balkis case would
be let off since our law enforcers have
a tendency to tutup satu mata. He is
editor (special reports & investiga-
tions) at theSun and can be reached
at citizen-nades@thesundaily.com
Editor’s note: The Down2Earth
columnist is taking a break.