The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should be commended for launching a sweeping operation, targeting scrap metal smuggling syndicates in five states.
These business schemes have been robbing the nation. They have allegedly cost the government about RM1bn in lost tax revenue over the last six years.
A news portal quoted a source as saying: “To ensure the shipments passed inspections and avoided taxation, the syndicates are believed to have bribed several enforcement officers.”
Corruption among enforcement agencies is easily the worst crime committed against a nation. Not only do their personnel draw monthly salaries, with pension and other benefits, some of them profit through their treacherous collaboration with illicit businesses.
There is no point finding fault after the fact and then hoping for change, as long as certain enforcement officers continue to work with thieves.
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The government should get tough with civil servants who are found to be corrupt. Transfers, demotions and warnings will never cleanse the nation of this cancer.
Despite so many media exposes and reports of civil servants taking bribes, giving favours, and ‘looking the other way’ at illegal activities and practices, certain enforcement officers do not seem to fear the consequences of their crimes.
We need deterrent government policies that do not fear a loss in the vote bank. We need a government that does not fear a civil service rebellion that may arise from zero-tolerance policies to bribery and graft.
If we had enforcement officers and civil servants who were truly patriotic, these corrupt businesses would be halted dead in their tracks. Tax revenue could then be deployed to develop economic opportunities and provide relief to ordinary people.
To argue that it is impossible to ensure that all our 1.7 million civil servants toe the line and remain corruption-averse amounts to technically condoning corruption. It is not unlike the local adage “tutup satu mata” (close an eye).
Expecting the MACC to clean up the entire nation is statistically absurd. How can MACC’s relatively small workforce tackle and rid the nation of corrupt practices that are allegedly ‘protected’ by the many corrupt civil servants in key enforcement agencies.
The government must take a hard stand here. It has already shown its seriousness in fighting graft by publishing the number of civil servants sacked and prosecuted for corrupt conduct.
But this is not enough. It must do much more to stamp out corruption.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
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- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
