Graft-check for BN candidates — Jaleel Hameed

DEC 21 — It must be the end of the world, dear sirs, if the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman is saying that all coalition candidates for the general election must clear a corruption check.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today this vetting and clearing must be done by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Excuse me for laughing, sir, but are you cracking a joke? No? You are serious about the MACC?

This agency, where witnesses or perhaps suspects, leap to their death mysteriously?

This agency, which told its Hong Kong counterpart that there is nothing suspicious about millions being sent to Umno’s Sabah chapter?

This agency, which is more interested in clearing its panel members of complicity rather than investigate where a sworn statement from a private investigator repudiating his earlier statutory declaration could mean something’s amiss?

Sir, you want the MACC to do this job? Does it even have any credibility left after three years of twiddling thumbs and fishing for small fry rather than big fishes?

When I read this morning that Datuk Johan Jaafar had proposed this idea, sir, I was wondering what confidence and optimism have possessed this veteran journalist and MACC panel member. Maybe it’s all those years of writing pro-BN material in Utusan Malaysia.

First of all, will the MACC and BN make public their asset declaration to ensure the voting public know these BN candidates are “clean”.

The graft trial of Dr Khir Toyo is a good point, sir. He was made Selangor mentri besar because he was young and “clean”, sir.

The Disneyland trips and Balinese-style residence are proof that a “clean” candidate can turn corrupt, sir.

I hope you’re not pulling our leg, sir. I want to believe that BN has changed and its candidates are “clean”. The MACC’s record is spotty at best for this but I guess they are the best that you have.

All the best in your endeavour, sir. Right now, a clean candidate from BN is as believable as the Mayan “end of the world” prediction.

* Jaleel Hameed reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.