Pengerusi FELDA...
Is Tiong’s ‘expose’ just the tip of the iceberg?
Tourism, arts and culture minister Tiong King Sing, who came to the “rescue” of the tourist from China who was detained by immigration officials, has alleged that this was not his first intervention. However, the action of the minister, who is also the MP for Bintulu, has received mixed reviews.
On June 29, Tiong went to KLIA Terminal 1 at 3am accompanied by MACC officers. He claimed to have received a phone call from the consulate-general of Malaysia in Guangzhou about the detention of a Chinese national by immigration officials. Both the home and transport ministers are investigating Tiong’s allegations about corruption at KLIA, which will be presented to the Cabinet soon.
Tiong’s action was supported by Khalid Harun, the president of the Malaysian Association of Travel Agencies (Mata), who praised him for showing concern in the fight against corruption at entry points in Malaysia.
Those who criticised Tiong included Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who demanded that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim take action against him for allegedly abusing his position by breaching security protocols at KLIA. Akmal said no individuals were above the law.
Cuepacs president Adnan Mat was also unhappy that Tiong may have violated national security protocols and interfered with the duties of civil servants. Adnan was reported as saying Tiong had violated the immigration department’s standard operating procedures, and should have given full trust to the authorities while they discharged their duties.
Many immigration officials, especially those who man the country’s entry points or immigration offices throughout the nation, have been accused of corruption in the past. However, often, the complaints would be swept under the carpet, or the victims would not bother pursuing the matter for fear of possible retaliation.
Many also agree that past efforts to stamp out corruption have been half-hearted, with the “ikan bilis” getting caught, but the “sharks” allowed to escape scot-free. For decades, there has been a lack of political will to deal with corrupt civil servants. Unless the government is serious about eradicating it, corruption is here to stay. On the one hand, we have to source for funds to pay for our bloated civil service and, on the other hand, we are unable to rein in corrupt civil servants who demand and accept bribes.
Meanwhile, a determined Tiong says he is prepared to face the Cabinet and answer questions related to his intervention. He should not be surprised to learn that his action is supported by many Malaysians, who want firm, decisive action to tackle corrupt officials, and not empty promises.
The question that should be posed to the Umno Youth leader and the Cuepacs president is, “Which is the most corrupt government department?” Actually, a better question would be, “Which government department is not corrupt?” - Mariam Mokhtar
Meanwhile the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) stated that there is no evidence of bribery in the recent commotion at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) involving a minister and two Chinese nationals.
The conclusion is that there was a misunderstanding between the tourists and an agent they contacted for assistance after receiving a Not-To-Land (NTL) notice. The MACC’s initial investigations revealed that no payments were made by the individuals who were denied entry by the Immigration Department.
It also noted communication issues led to a misinterpretation that bribery was involved leading to the intervention by the Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Tiong King Sing. He suggested that there was an attempt at corruption, causing a commotion at KLIA. - mk
Enough is enough: Kit Siang orders lawyers to institute legal proceedings against Annuar Musa’s fictitious May 13 claim...
Unable to stomach anymore lies, malice and defamatory remarks from PAS, retired DAP supremo Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang has instructed his lawyers to institute legal action against former UMNO warlord-turn-PAS member Tan Sri Annuar Musa for linking him with the May 13 racial riots.
For context, the former communications and multimedia minister had claimed that “DAP had a significant stake” in the May 13 incident as Kit Siang had campaigned under the DAP banner during the 1969 general election after which the bloodshed occurred of May 13, 1969.
“If you open the book that compiles Lim’s speeches, it includes one when the killings took place in Kampung Baru. Lim was giving a speech in Kota Kinabalu, still fanning the flames for Bumiputera and non-Bumiputera issues,” Malaysiakini had cited Annuar as claiming in front of some 1,000 people who gathered for a PAS ceramah in Bachok, Kelantan.
Musang will soon leave behind his underwear only...
In his rebuttal, Kit Siang said there is no such book and the claim “it is a figment of Annuar’s imagination”.
“Annuar Musa has joined PAS and the first thing he has done is to emulate PAS president Tan Sri Hadi Awang to make wild, preposterous and unsubstantiated allegations,” lambasted the country’s longest serving opposition leader (29 years on three separate occasions).
“It is not that I had not repeatedly stated that I had no links with the May 13 riots. This is proof that PAS is using lies, falsehood, fake news, and hate speech in (run-up to) the six state polls in Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu on Aug 12.”
Kit Siang further revealed that he was originally slated to contest in the Bukit Bintang parliamentary seat in the 1969 general election but following an electoral understanding with Gerakan on the eve of polling day, he eventually switched to the Damansara parliamentary seat.
“At the last minute, however, I was sent to contest in Bandar Melaka where I started my parliamentary journey,” recalled the veteran lawmaker. “If I had contested in the Kuala Lumpur (KL)/Selangor seats, it would have been much more difficult to rebut the wild and preposterous allegations that I was involved in the May 13 riots.”
Moreover, the former Iskandar Puteri MP said he was never in KL on May 11, 12 and 13 of 1969. In fact, on the morning of May 13, he flew to Kota Kinabalu to help the independent candidates as polling day in Sabah and Sarawak was scheduled later.
“It is strange that I am now accused of being a communist although the communists who launched a boycott of the 1969 general election wanted me to lose Bandar Melaka seat in 1969 and that I am further accused of causing the May 13 riots when I was not in KL at that time,” lamented Kit Siang. “Annuar Musa did not know (this) but the police and the Special Branch at the time knew,” he added. – focusmalaysia
cheers.
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