what about starting off by punishing those who commit them? Arrest them, fine them, and put them behind bars. Both the “givers” and the “takers” should be punished to send out a strong message.
To the perpetual optimists, Malaysians can look forward to a drastic drop in corruption now that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has done a three-kilometre “Anti-Corruption Run: Do not give, do not accept”.
Seriously, what does the premier hope to achieve by attending an event that everyone knows is just pomp and glamour, and would not meet its intended goal in the long run? (pun intended).
How is 3,000 people running while pledging “don’t give, don’t take” going to overcome corruption, which has been plaguing the nation for years?
The run, organised by Gerakan, began and ended at Padang Merbok in Kuala Lumpur, on Sunday (April 20).
Time and again, we have seen sloganeering at its best, with dozens of events and campaigns screaming “1Malaysia” being organised, but we can all see how effective these activities have been in uniting Malaysians.
1Malaysia may have been bandied about, printed on products and worn on shirts, but are Malaysians more tolerant towards each other since the concept was introduced?
Racist bigots are still running around, spouting insensitive remarks that disrupt racial and religious harmony without a care in the world. Some of them are even aligned to the ruling coalition and proud of it. And they go about their usual nonsense knowing they will get away scot-free.
Racial and religious tension is nearing boiling point, and yet we are forced to put up with the “We are a multi-racial country and we live in harmony” propaganda.
As for graft, what about starting off by punishing those who commit them? Arrest them, fine them, and put them behind bars. Both the “givers” and the “takers” should be punished to send out a strong message.
These concrete actions will speak louder than events with colourful themes that only attempt to convince people that the government is doing something.
The nation has been bleeding billions of ringgit in leakages and has not been getting the right mention in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index.
We see politicians and civil servants living beyond their means, and millions were reported lost through wasteful and dubious spending every time the Auditor-General’s Annual Report is released.
But what happens afterwards? Next to nothing.
Swept under the carpet? Most probably.
It is time Najib realised that actions speak louder than words. Running while chanting slogans and posing for pictures with “volunteers” will not stop corruption. Period.
Enforcement and punishment will stop people from giving and taking. Cut the supply and the demand will eventually die off.
Perhaps the only tip we can take from a run symbolising the fight against graft is the next time you come across an instance where you have to give or take a bribe, quickly run away. That should be able to stop bribery from happening.
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Important - The views expressed and the links provided on our comment pages are the personal views of individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sabah Report.