OCT 27 — There has been much debate over the Auditor-General’s report and the government’s refusal to take action against the three MACC officials who “forced” Teoh Beng Hock to “commit suicide”. (Hey, I didn’t conclude this but the Royal Commission of Inquiry made that leap of logic.)
At first glance, it looks like there is no connection between the two topics but in reality there is: the annual festival of corruption, mismanagement and incompetence reported dutifully every year by the Auditor-General and Nazri Aziz’s nonchalant reporting of the Attorney-General’s decision not to take action against the three scoundrels at MACC show you the CONTEMPT the Barisan Nasional government have for us, the people of Malaysia.
They believe that by next week our anger at the cost overruns/corruption/refusal to obey Treasury rules at the Tourism Ministry; the farce of Sharizat Inc. and the family-run farm, the hundreds of millions of ringgit wasted will be forgotten.
We will go back to our normal lives and Zahid Hamidi can continue purchasing the APCs at astronomical prices and Noh Omar can have another 12-month respite before he has to answer why poor farmers have been deprived of fertilisers.
The whole charade of the Auditor-General’s report is a joke against Malaysians. Nothing changes. The politicians cheat and mismanage and we keep on voting them in.
It is the same with Nazri’s reply in Parliament on further action on Teoh Beng Hock. Once again, the government of the day is showing their contempt towards the public. Having the RCI was just part of the wayang for an administration which does not have a moral compass.
They believe that the anger over the needless death of this young man has subsided so they can throw any rubbish at the public and we will stomach it.
Does it surprise anyone that Gani Patail has declined to take action against the MACC which not too long ago declined to take further action against the AG over an improper trip to Mecca?
Should it surprise any of us that Gani Patail — who should be investigated for a series of serious offences including the fabrication of evidence — is shying away once again from taking action recommended by a RCI?
Or have we forgotten that this same individual declined to take action against VK Lingam, Mahathir Mohamad and others in the famous videotape case?
The government of the day is counting on us having a short memory. That is why they treat us with contempt ever so regularly.
* Lucius Goon 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.
