MERDEKA: Transparency, Where Art Thou?

When Pak Lah assumed the stewardship of NegaraKu as its CEO in November 2003, he has been promising again and again he would promote an open, transparent and accountable government. Almost four years of muddied waters have flowed under the bridge to nowhere, and in the state of Selangor sepcecially, its MB and Little Napoeleons have given credence to former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's recent lament: There is something rotten in the state of Selangor ala Denmark.

First, there is the RM4.6billion bailout (the Government says it's "soft loans") of the beleaguered white elephant that is the Port Klang Free Zone annnounced just days earlier in-thy-face manner.

Second, flashing through all the MSM frontpage headlines today is the latest saga of the famous (?), in the State government's eyes-lah! or notorious, IMHO-lah for what's it is worth, shenanigans of a State Assemblyman in the most developed state in the fair land called Malaysia. I hope my Esteemed Readers have not forgotten about Zakaria's "small" house, or was it a squatter hut?

Poster courtesy of Mob1900.

From the NST,

2007/08/25

OFF THE HOOK: All 37 charges faced by Zakaria Mat
Deros and six company directors dropped



Just a RM1,400 fine, when they could have been jailed
a maximum of five years and fined up to RM30,000 on
each charge.


KUALA LUMPUR: The numbers just don’t add up.

All it took seven company directors, including Port
Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros, to escape
37 charges under the Companies Act 1965 was the
payment of a RM1,400 fine to the Companies Commission
of Malaysia (CCM) on July 31.

Ng Ai Cheng, Yet Kiong Siang, Ng Swee Kiat, Ng Sho See
and Sukhinderjit Singh, directors of Harvest Court
Industries and Darues Kadir of Titi Steel were not
even in the magistrate’s court yesterday when the
cases came up for hearing.

They and Zakaria — a director of both companies —
could have been jailed a maximum of five years and
fined up to RM30,000 on each charge.

The charges included failure to submit profit-and-loss
statements, financial statements and hold annual
general meetings.

CCM senior prosecutor Azmil Haron told Klang
magistrate Fadzilatul Isma Ahmad Refngah that the
deputy public prosecutor had instructed him to drop
the charges.

Although he did not provide a reason in court for
doing so, Azmil later told the New Straits Times that
the decision followed the early payment of the fine by
the companies.

"They did so early (on July 31) although the deadline
for settling the fine was Aug 10."

Azmil declined to comment when asked why both
companies were let off easily despite the severity of
the charges.

Lawyers Mozni Sham Ahmad and Joseph R. Samuel
represented the companies and directors.

Mozni said outside the court that Zakaria was in
Malacca attending the funeral of his youngest sister
who died yesterday.

"My client (Zakaria) is a state assemblyman who
upholds the law and has never breached it."

He added that the charges were not against individuals
but against the companies.

Mozni said the charges were dropped after
representation was made to the Director-General of the
Companies Commission.

"We had discussions with the Companies Commission,
with the prosecution (and subsequently) deciding to
withdraw the charges."

The case first came up at the Sessions Court on July
20 but the six were not present, forcing the
postponement of the case to yesterday.

Zakaria made headlines last year after building a
mansion without approval and defaulting on assessment
fees for 11 years.

He was later fined RM24,000 by the Klang Municipal
Council.

As a result, he was investigated by the
Anti-Corruption Agency and one case is still pending,
although two were dropped in May because of lack of
evidence.


An Olde Record Playing

Build me a four-storey house in the steal of the night, like Desi's
poetry
On land as wide as that my eyes can see and as far as the hungry lenses
allow me
I'm an honourable royal town Councillor, poor mouse that I am
Can't afford more than four storeys, damn, damn

Our agriciultural park land is in good and safe hands
Take my word for It! CEO of developed State assures
But from helicopter sleepy-eyed PM could see no blade of grass
Over huge expanse of bare sparse lands
Oh, between you and I, I'll do a Sandiwara act
As MB say a few words of repentance, smile with tact
You pretend to be full or remorse just these few days
Then SemuaNya Okay!

I promise thee transparency and accountability
But when I say I promise it's just my word you see
Thieves have honour among the, damn stupid fellows
Among us raified species, our word is just for show to be
These stupid electorate, they demand responsibility
Of course, to my BN colleagues, special to UMNO, and my family