Political will determines success of anti-graft war

WITH the declared decision to bust graft to the core, PCORE's platform of peace, conscience and reason applauds the long-awaited political will and arm of the government to wage heavy fire on this deplorable scourge of society. Once and for all, let us mean what we say and act upon it when we pledge zero tolerance for corruption.
Having closely followed and written about the insidious growth of corruption at all levels of society and among the country's movers and shakers for 20 years, I am more than ever committed to speak out against corruption. And having served for two terms on the MACC Advisory Board as one of a dozen members, I am convinced that the political will of the government is the key factor in determining the success of the anti-graft war. Let the nation's political leaders be what they are duty-bound to be, specifically the protector and saviour of the nation and its people – not the plunderer of its wealth.
However, political will goes beyond paying lip service and mouthing intent; it means more than issuing warnings and promising action. It means laying out the snares, casting the traps and laying bare the fishy deeds; it means digging into filthy waters and daring to unearth the skeletons buried deep in the culture of bribery and corruption.
I hold the view that Malaysians are in general susceptible to corruption because of the bunga mas-carrying, buah tangan-bearing, ang pow-giving, upah-taking culture and traditions ingrained in the people's psyche throughout history. Economic opportunities in the nation's development since independence have only compounded these cultural traits and "legitimised" them in a sordid and furtive way.
An effective anti-graft action plan involves devising a solid structure and mechanism whereby the most stringent measures are in place and efficiently executed. It means establishing a strong, independent anti-corruption agency and giving it the power to investigate and prosecute. It means getting rid of the bureaucracy and political influence that retard the consolidation of zero tolerance. The establishment of the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption to complement the investigative role of the MACC is a laudable move to circumvent political obstruction. It must be truly independent and report directly to Parliament.
People need reminding that there's nothing novel about a new government promising a fresh vision of reality, especially when it is laid out in a 10-point election manifesto. But to promise to achieve success in 100 days is naïvely short sighted, especially in the case of fighting corruption and bringing the 1MDB scandal to book. With the latter, the investigation has started and the prosecution will begin soon enough, but the desired outcome of rounding up the protagonists and antagonists and incarcerating the criminals will be a long drawn-out process as lawyers and judges look for loopholes in the law. In the end, will justice indeed be served?
And to all those, including myself, who think they are holier than thou or cleaner than clean, please dig deep into your conscience before you declare your innocence. Many of us have not upheld the strictest demands of integrity or the highest standards of ethics and morality because it's not easy to be scrupulously clean. But we can vow to do so and set the finest example for our family and friends. We can be the eyes and ears in our groups and communities and be the real beacon of hope for the Pakatan Harapan government who need the rakyat to be totally committed in the fight against corruption. They cannot do it in 100 days and longer without our help.
Political will is essentially the people's will.
Datuk Halimah Mohd Said
President
Association of Voices of Peace, Conscience and Reason