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'Enforcement agencies must act without fear or favour'
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19, 2014:
How many more lives need to be sacrificed before the authorities realise the importance of taking every possible measure to stop abuses that can lead to environmental ruin, questioned Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M).
The Malaysian chapter of the international anti-corruption non-governmental organisation’s president Datuk Akhbar Satar said the use of key words in support letters linking certain proposed action to the royalties have pressured the involved authorities to approve measures that are beneficial only to the proposal maker.
He put forward the recent mudslide tragedy in Cameron Highlands as an example, where revelations were made saying that the Pahang palace has often been used to pressure local authorities there to allow projects that have led to over development in the area.
“The authorities in Cameron Highlands have pointed to such documents as one of the causes for over development at the highlands, which resulted in the massive mudslides on Nov 5.
“The relevant enforcement agencies need to act without fear or favour and the existence of such recommendation or support letters puts undue pressure on them in the discharge of their duties and certainly can adversely affect their resolve to combat corruption at all levels.”
Akhbar, a former state director of the Anti-Corruption Agency (now known as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission), added that all states should emulate the step taken by the Johor palace in banning the use of support letters which were said to have led to a rampant abuse.
The recent mudslides saw five people dead, while many others suffered property and financial losses.
“We are aware that it is not an offence from a legal and technical point of view for members of the royalty and politicians to issue recommendation or support letters especially relating to good or charitable causes such as scholarship, medical assistance and other humanitarian aid.
“However, these recommendation or support letters should not be used in other situations where they may be used as a basis to make any administrative or governmental decisions which may lead to an abuse of power or for personal gain,” he said in a statement today.
Johor, in a letter issued in October last year, had instructed federal departments, statutory bodies, local authorities, registrar of societies as well as the state’s cooperatives and companies, commissions, to look out for words linked to the Johor royal institution and the State.
The letter, which took effect immediately, required them to refer documents bearing words such as “Diraja”, “Mahkota” to the state government.
“The recommendation letters came in various forms. Some were dropping names of member of the royalty, while some were traced back to members of royal households,” explained Akhbar.
He added that with the existence of the “yellow letters” out in the open, TI-M hopes that there would be an immediate blanket ban on such letters in all states.
