FOR brave souls like the INVESTIGATION AND SPECIAL PROJECTS team in theSUN headed by CITIZEN NADESWARAN.
AS the new media emerged the past 1-1/2decades, the media scene is ENRCIHED BY WHAT HAS BEEN COINED THE 5TH ESTATE... and YL CHONG uses his penname Desiderata entered this new arena ten years ago (even as I functioned as a Print Journalist Freelance...), and I am happy I can COUNT with pride comrades from across the political divide, interacting closely discoursing on national issues with fellow BUMMERS such as DONPLAYPUKS, ROCKYBRU and THE VOICE.
SO IN the 1MDB saga spanning almost half-a-year now and still showing no signs of waning, both the SUN daily print and the Internet portal themalaysianinisder.com soldier on. CONGRATS, my media buddies, KEEP the FAITH and STAY THE FIGHT!
From the sun today, Citizen Nades wrote:~~
We have a right to know
Posted on 2 August 2015 - 07:13pm
Last updated on 2 August 2015 - 07:38pm
R. NadeswaranLast updated on 2 August 2015 - 07:38pm
THE past seven days must be the most tumultuous week in the history of the country. There has been anxiety, drama, mystery, disquiet, apprehension and even humour as we look back at the happenings since last Monday.
Statements were made and words were spoken; action was taken and some found themselves in the doghouse; a few who had been in "cold storage" found themselves to have been adjudicated as "rehabilitated" and were resurrected and placed on the pedestal.
Most of these were political in nature and must have drawn the attention of the majority of the population. Some were awed by the events while others dismissed them as "sandiwara" and carried on as if nothing had happened.
But these proceedings were followed by a flurry of statements from officialdom which provided little details. Each of these statements contained elements which in turn would have prompted a buzz of more questions.
But some clues were provided on Tuesday. In a statement, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) denied that its senior officers were involved in a plot to topple the government.
Initiatives and action taken by the officers, the MACC said, were part of their duties and responsibilities and they were carried out with the knowledge and approval of MACC chief Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed.
Further, it stressed the point that as an independent commission, the MACC will carry out its duties without fear or favour irrespective of who was involved.
On Wednesday, the chairmen of the five independent oversight panels of the MACC in a statement wanted the investigation of issues relating to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) to be conducted in an independent, transparent and professional manner without any interference or form of pressure from any third party.
Every right-thinking Malaysian's minds will be asking these two questions: "Why are they issuing these statements and have there been any attempts to stifle the investigation?"
Reading the statement in totality, these paragraphs are telling indeed: "We strongly feel that it is highly pertinent to ensure that the integrity of the MACC as an independent anti-corruption commission is to be maintained and shall not be compromised. The MACC must be seen as an independent commission entrusted to execute the plans and carry out its responsibilities in line with the public's expectations.
"The panels are unanimous in calling for a thorough investigation and for the findings to be made public as soon as possible. This is necessary in order to reduce the widening gap in the level of perception as well as confidence."
The heads of the panels also urged the attorney-general to provide clear updates on developments in the investigations in order to prevent negative perceptions of the agencies in the Special Task Force.
Did something brew in the interim for such statements to be issued? They were not the usual routine notices to the media. They were delivered with belief, persuasion and conviction. They were not couched in flowery words and in diplomatic language either. Neither were they humble appeals. They were strongly worded and explicit – don't interfere with our work and we are not out to topple the government.
The response was swift and the rebuttal was hard-nosed. The newly-minted AG, Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali said advice or instructions to the special task force investigating 1MDB cannot be revealed to the public.
"While the public is entitled to be informed, details of criminal investigations which comprise, among other things, contents of statements given by witnesses are privileged and the law prohibits such matters to be disclosed," said Apandi in a statement, summarily dismissing the call by the panels.
There is no smoke without fire. Reading these official statements without even taking cognisance of media reports in the blogs and newspapers, it is apparent that some serious power play is going on.
What can be said when reading all the statements? Is there a turf war with various sides at logger-heads instead of working together? What other conclusion can Joe Public come to?
There have been a number of stories, tales and sagas making their rounds in cyber space and in meeting places. We are not at liberty to reproduce or publish them without verification.
I have repeatedly said: "This country is suffering from a disease called truth deficiency syndrome." These issues have to be addressed and if silence is maintained, it will result in some of these untruths and half-truths being swallowed hook, line and sinker by the unassuming public.
The time has come for the truth to be told to the people. The previous attorney-general, the governor of Bank Negara and the MACC chief commissioner, who have all this while kept stoic, enduring and tolerant silence, must put the issues in the right perspective by speaking out.
Terse statements and denials after something is said or reported will not change the already-sullied perception of the task force. These three personalities are not being fair to themselves by allowing all kinds of speculation, assumption and conjecture, some of which are personal indeed.
As heads of very important institutions, all of you have to earn the people's trust and confidence by putting your cards on the table. No one is asking you to disclose information which is vital to your investigations, but if there have been even the slightest signs of "interference", the people have a right to know.
R. Nadeswaran who is also a member of the MACC advisory panel on consultation and corruption prevention has been deluged with calls for more information and transparency in the work of the special task force. Unfortunately, no one has access to them except the four heads and their staff. Comments: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com
Related articles
- MACC panels urges for investigation without interference
- AG: Revealing details can compromise 1MDB probe
- MACC denies rumours senior officers involved in a conspiracy to topple the government
- Citizen Nades takes anti-corruption fight to a new level
- ‘Don’t dispute integrity of special task force’
******************************
AND the malaysianinisder.com featuted a coopted writer:~~~
Keeping quiet is not an option — Aidil Khalid
Published: 3 August 2015 10:56 AM
Here are the facts that have transpired lately.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was sacked after questioning 1MDB publicly, and
following which there was a Cabinet reshuffle.
A video was leaked with Muhyiddin claiming that Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Razak had admitted to him personally that RM2.6 billion was indeed
deposited into his personal account.
There has not been any clear, unequivocal denial from
Najib following this explosive allegation. Instead, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail
was removed as the attorney-general, quite suddenly amid ongoing investigations
over 1MDB.
Adding salt to injury, four members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)
involved in the 1MDB probe were elevated to the Cabinet, including PAC chairman
Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, who was appointed as deputy home minister, halting
investigation and throwing serious doubts about the impartiality of whatever
investigations that had been carried out thus far.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia has said that PAC
proceedings cannot continue, since it has no chairman.
Whether related or not, one cannot really say, but very mysteriously, fire
broke in Bukit Aman, where documents and papers on investigations are kept,
although the inspector-general of police very quickly said that only
"unimportant documents" were destroyed.
Then, Sarawak Report leaked some documents that appear to be the draft
charge sheet against Najib, claiming that Gani was actually in the midst of
preparing the same (i.e., to charge Najib for corruption in receiving RM27
million, an indictment that could carry a maximum sentence of 20 years
imprisonment if found guilty under section 24 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption
Commission Act and section 34 of the Penal Code Act), when he was unceremoniously
removed as the A-G.
Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali, the new A-G who replaced Gani, however, very
quickly denied that the draft charge sheet leaked were ever issued by the
Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC). However, to date, there has been no denial
by the best person to make such denial, and that would of course be the very
person who is said to have prepared the purported draft charge sheet, Gani.
In fact, when asked, the police chief said there was no need to get
confirmation from Gani about the purported draft charge sheet.
Rather than getting confirmation from the very person who could confirm or
deny the purported draft charge sheet (i.e., Gani), the police arrested a
former advisor to MACC along with an officer of the AGC. The police also arrested
a deputy public prosecutor who worked for MACC and seconded to the AGC. The
arrests were said to be “over allegations made by Sarawak Report” and have
connections with “leakage of government’s official documents that have been
misused by certain quarters”.
Which is odd at best, and nonsensical at worst, because while the police
maintained that the purported draft charge sheet was false and did not come
from the AGC, in the very same breath the police are insinuating that Sarawak
Report's report is based on leaked government official documents.
Now, all the points above are the facts available to the public at large.
And the facts speak volumes for themselves.
I have always stayed clear from commenting on Najib’s 1MDB-related
scandal, but what has transpired lately is no longer about 1MDB per se.
It is now about one man’s blatant disregard for the very principle of
justice, that there must be separation of powers, which simply means there
shouldn’t be any interference with ongoing investigations, and that justice
must not only be done, but it must also be seen to be done.
It is, as a fellow at Universiti Putra Malaysia’s
Putra Business School,
Wan Ahmad Fayhsal aptly put, about a “despotic kleptocrat who abused the rule
of law by obstructing and intimidating the Special Task Force.”
We cannot keep quiet. What Najib did is nothing less than wanton abuse of
power and deliberate obstruction of the due process of justice.
It is at times like this that I am reminded by what Haniff Khatri had
said, during a session for young lawyers organised by Concerned Lawyers for
Justice (CLJ) early this year, just before the Malaysian Bar's AGM.
At that time, CLJ was actually preparing to support the loose movement of
100 lawyers otherwise knwon as G100 to fight the Bar Council for being biased
and for unfairly bringing contempt and disrepute to our judicial system.
“The test,” said Haniff to the young lawyers who listened attentively, “is
when everything else around you are so bad, and the system is so wrong, whether
you could still do right amidst all the mess around you. Whether you could
stand straight and do the right thing amidst everything else.”
Then, we were fighting the Malaysian Bar for making a mockery of our
justice system. Today, Najib is doing exactly the same, only worse.
Yes, keeping quiet is no longer an option. Keeping quiet is not doing
right. Keeping quiet is playing safe by being coward.
Stand up and say NO to Najib. Our voice must be loud and clear. We must
speak in one voice. God save Malaysia.
– August 3, 2015.
* Aidil Khalid is a lawyer and a
member of Concerned Lawyers for Justice (CLJ).
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not
necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/keeping-quiet-is-not-an-option-aidil-khalid#sthash.vNPezgFu.dpuf
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