The public revelation of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) audit report took Najib\’s governance of the Barisan Nasional (BN) political leadership to new levels of transparency, at least in my view.
While it is easier for the public to receive and expect a bare-all report from the Internal Audit Review Committee of the Selangor state government on the Balkis scandal; the open and honest revelation by the PKA is truly a feather in MCA\’s and Najib\’s cap. Why?
It\’s the dawn of a newer era of governance. The MCA President is new, the Prime Minister is new, and the Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairman is new. The new team of political leaders, while still representatives of the two major BN parties, now know how to use new brooms to sweep dirt – without sweeping them under the carpet.
While there were some political hurdles to overcome, including an audit firm who was afraid of being held \”fully accountable\” for their report, the newer Cabinet endorsed the report to be released. Well done to the good and faithful servants for transparency and public accountability.
I want to also publicly recognise and acknowledge my good friend, Lee Hwa Beng who is the chairman of PKA, for doggedly standing firm to his private promise to me that he would reveal this report to the public or he would resign.
Although he and the MCA president (Ong Tee Keat) may or may not be the best of friends, but as an accountant, he has honoured his profession well. We now have an \”anti-corruption commitment alliance or a people\’s ACCA\”. If there is any accountant worth his salt, who would not ever support such a report being made public, one should review their sense of responsibility and accountability.
This also means the days and years of \”the cover-ups\” are almost over. We really do not need too much cosmetics or freshening up anymore; we can now truly, really appear as we are. Therefore, transparency and accountability are good, true and honest values. Transparency and openness can have a cleansing effect, as much it does bring some shame and embarrassment. But, do we not want to rid the world of such bad values? Therefore, this is a good and new positive value we must inculcate and nurture as we seek to become a more democratic Malaysia.
A good and honest report which tells the truth about the events that led to the fiasco will reveal the gaps between espoused theory and the theory-in-use. I have always described this as the integrity gap. The PKFZ report makes the integrity gap very obvious to the ordinary people, whose public monies have been abused by those trusted with authority and related responsibility. Such an era of public abuse of citizen funds are not new, but the government needs to seriously reconsider whether simply setting up institutes is sufficient to address these real gaps in our environment? Today, whether it is the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Comission (MACC) or the Institut Integriti Malaysia (IIM), both as newly created institutes for improved governance \”cannot fly\” until and unless all relevant culprits are brought to book quickly, and given their due punishment. Somehow, in Malaysia today, justice is slow for the crooks but is quick to prosecute anti-government protestors who simply want to tell the truth.
This integrity gap therefore also makes obvious and visible gaps in poor governance. For example, while our Royal Malaysian Police cannot seem to ever detain the real crooks, they are super efficient at so-called selective public order maintenance. I dare say if the police stay out of the way, there is greater peace, transparency and public order.
We are not Thailand, neither are we Indonesia. We are neither India nor Bangladesh nor even the Philippines. Although Malaysia have a history of armed conflict, I have yet to meet a Malaysian who feels there is no way forward but through armed struggle for their freedom.
Malaysians and non-Malaysians can and should enjoy the beauties and riches of the multi-ethnic and cultural life in the country. It is only when the government gets in the way such as the selective abuse of the law and a lopsided judicial system for criminal persecution by the police and Attorney General (AG), that the ordinary people and citizens feel victimised.
Yes, perhaps it is therefore time to begin a signature campaign asking the current AG and the police chief to step down.
May God bless and preserve Malaysia as the new wind blows!
