HIndraf Makkal Shakti

Friday, December 25, 2009

Hindraf's ex-treasurer fumes over request for accounts - Malayskiakini

Former Hindraf treasurer K Vasanthakumar is up in arms over a demand for the movement to open up its accounts for scrutiny by P Waythamoorthy's lawyers.

Accounting firm Padmarajah & Co have been tasked by legal firm Kumar, Hashimah & Co acting on behalf of the Hindraf chairperson to look into the status of the accounts.

Waythamoorthy had recently sent a letter of demand to Vasanthakumar and three others, asking them to retract statements they made, imputing that he swindled money meant for Hindraf's cause.

hindraf pc 241209 k vasanthakumar Besides Vasanthakumar (right), V Ganabatirao, DAP Sungkai assemblyperson A Sivanesan and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy were told that if they refused to retract their statements and issue an apology, he would sue them.

A fuming Vasanthakumar said: "I'm the sole owner of Hindraf Enterprise with a single bank account in RHB bank in my name. Padmarajah & Co have no business meddling into the accounts of Hindraf Enterprise."

Vasanthakumar explained that he held Hindraf Enterprise's accounts until Dec 13, 2007 when he was detained under the Internal Security Act for 18 months.

"Monies collected after that should be revealed by the 10 coordinators appointed by Wathamoorthy," said Vasanthakumar at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

'Waytha playing a Tom and Jerry game'

hindraf pc 241209 k vasanthakumar, v ganabatirao, v papparaidu Ganabatirao who was also at the press conference said: "Waythamoorthy is playing a Tom and Jerry game.

"We've asked him to account for the money collected by his appointed coordinators for the five detainees' families numerous times."

Waythamoorthy recently also sent another letter of demand to Ganabatirao's brother Papparaidu demanding that Papparaidu return RM50,000 belonging to Hindraf.

Ganabatirao said the RM50,000 was used to post bail for Hindraf's legal advisor P Uthayakumar when he was detained by the police prior to the latter's ISA arrest. It does not belong to Hindraf as it came from other sources, he added.

"Did he (Waythamoorthy) send similar letters to the coordinators that he appointed, such as S Jayathas and RS Thanenthiran?" asked Ganabatirao.

He also questioned how Padmarajah & Co, can claim to act on behalf of a banned organisation.

NONE On the same note, he demanded Waythamoorthy (right) to disclose the full details of the money collected on behalf of the Hindraf 5's families after their ISA arrest.

"Failure to do so would force me to lodge a report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission," he threatened.

He said Hindraf coordinators made massive collections through fund raising dinners and the sale of Hindraf paraphernalia in the name of the families but not a single cent was given to them.

"Now they claim it is in Hindraf's accounts," he said.

In addition, he also wants Waythamoorthy, who is currently in London, to return the RM110,000 that was collected by Papparaidu and banked into the account of Kumar Hashimah & Co on Dec 18, 2007.

He said Papparaidu would ensure that the money is given to the families of the Hindraf detainees.

Meanwhile, when contacted yesterday, Sivanesan asked for proof as to when Waythamoorthy was appointed or elected as Hindraf chairperson.

He also faxed a letter to Kumar Hashimah & Co asking for documentary evidence that Hindraf is a registered organisation.

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Hoorah finally the truth is coming out from the mouth of the crooks. all the while they accused waytha of swindling the money. Now that waytha is taking the legal steps and appointing the accountants, looks like they are shivering. well coupled with the civil suit these crooks would be jammed. Now let the public know who are the real crooks. If vasantha kumar can admit he is the sole owner of Hindraf Enterprise then the onus and responsibility is on him. The intelligent would be able to differentiate between what is pure gold and gold covering. Hindraf and its leaders are pure. The crooks are being cornered legally now. I think they are panicking.

Dei madaya Vasamthakumar, if ur solely represent Hindraf enterprise. and ur the treasurer for Hindraf, than ur the culprit of swindle the money. ur the one supposed to show the account and ur should take accountability of these money. why should wathamoorthy answer for this. he sound like damn stupid right. hahahahahah

As explained by Vasanthakumar he was operating the account and he is the signatory of this account. As such the onus lies with Vasanthakumar and NOT Waythamoorthy to account for every single cent collected under Hindraf account. Rao if you want to implicate Thanenthiran please go ahead. Sivanesan you need to account for the monies collected at Perai, Padang Serai and Kulim under the name of Hindraf ISA detainees’ family monthly expenses. I’m sure your memory is coming back now

Dei DAP mandors, where is the receipt for the fund collected by you peanut brainees from Paya Besar Karumariamman Temple for the Hindraf 5 families...You DAP mandores promised to post the receipt after bank in..On that event, all the DAP manores & konco konconya were present themselves to the temple..DAP big ass mandore Ramasamy, DAP mandore Kula, DAP ganabathirau's wife & brothers, local DAP mandore Neelamekan....

Finally v can declare the 'Comical Characters of the Year 2009' - T.Magan Vasanthakumar, P.Magan Ganabatirau and Madayan Sivanesan. Vaayai Koduttu Soottai Punnaakuvathu . . . Ithu thaanda, madayargala. If Sivanesan thinks Waythamoorthy was never elected or appointed by anyone as Hindraf chairman, then he should not have rode on the Hindraf-inspired Makkal Sakti wave in the last general election to register his first ever electoral success after series of flops. Vasanthakumar and Ganabatirau can dream on to hijack Hindraf or Indian masses. One needs talent to lead a community. Both severely lack it.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

S. Ponny 33, 3 children, RM 300.00 p.m. welfare help, poor single parent.

This single parent in addition to her three step children also has to bring up a two year old handicapped child (since birth) (Utusan Malaysia 7/12/09 at page 16).

Earnings below RM 478.00 per month has been capped as the cut off point for the hardcore poor in the Ninth Malaysia Plan. But Ponny’s welfare aid is about 40% below the hardcore poverty rate.

To make matters worse there is no way this single parent could go to work with these four very young children.

Her husband left her. We assess it was because of poverty related problems. Unlike a Malay muslim, an Iban, Kadazan, orang asli or even a Chinese who would have village or Chinese New Village to go to or to fall back on, this poor Indian lady would have to end up paying at least about RM 200.00 per month in rentals alone. Now what does Ponny do with the balance of the RM 100.00 per month and with five mouths to feed. What’s the future of her four children? Especially the handicapped child whose pampers alone would cost about RM 300.00 per mouth that the Welfare Department is giving her.

Malaysia which can afford to build the tallest twin towers in the world and Petronas’ profit for the first six months of 2009 alone being RM 22 Billion (NST 9/12/09 front page) and the RM 191.5 Billion 2010 budget (NST, Star 24/10/2009 headlines) can certainly give Ponny a government flat/house and RM 900.00 per month as state welfare financial assistance and thereby keeping her above the hardcore poverty level and alleviating her day to day mysery.

Ponny would get no extra help from Baitumal, JAIS, JAKIM, Tabung Haji, Perkim etc. Had Ponny been a Malay muslim, she would have received this help if not the ten acre land ownership scheme in Felda, Felcra, Risda, FAMA, Agropolition etc or the scores of land schemes for livestock and the government’s One District One Industry plan. At the very least S.Ponny and her four children could keep afloat above the hardcore poverty level in these land ownerships schemes with the assistance of her three children. But there is no history in the last forty years or so of UMNO giving the poor Indians land in these aforesaid land ownership schemes.

Ponny is a classical example of a potential committing suicide case which is 600% higher than for the Malays. (Refer Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2008 to Pravasi Bharathiya Divas International Conference at Chennai, India 7^th – 9^th January 2009)

UMNO must give Ponny and thousands of other Indians the right to a decent livelihood and not these peanuts welfare help of RM 100.00 to RM 300.00 per month. We want a permanent solutions and not piecemeal UMNO politics. UMNO has to leach Ponny how to catch fish and not by giving her one fish every month.

P. Uthayakumar.

www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

One Dollar to create one Indian “entrepreneur” in One

But UMNO gets their Indian Businessman mandores to make media statements otherwise. So this Indian mandore now sings a song that the Indians do not know of these government loans and grants and that very few apply and their application forms were not in order etc etc. (The Star 17/12/2009 at page N31)

But the fact remains that the UMNOs’ racist civil servants Biro Tata Negara “graduates” who are specially trained at a Malay-sian budget of RM 55 Million per year reject these Indian applicant’s applications even at the counter level.

While the 2010 National Budget is RM 191.5 Billion UMNO allocates this RM 2 Million loans to the 2 Million Indians to develop Indian entrepreneurs @ RM 1.00 per head.

We do not want these 52 year old “peanuts paper politics” of RM 1.00 per Indian but want to be part and “parcel of the RM 191.5” Billion 2010 national 2010 Budget vis a vis the national mainstream development of Malaysia.

P. Uthayakumar

.www.humanrightspartymalaysia

There handicapped in one family, house sealed by UMNO govt.

The UMNO Port Dickson Municipal Council has yesterday sealed off the house and locked out this poor Indian family whose father Micheal Susai (53) and two other children are handicapped as they could not afford to pay their housing installments. They have earlier paid for 15^th year and have a balance of only a mere RM 8, 000.00 to settle. They have been denied even their very basic Welfare help by UMNO but which boasts of the world’s tallest Twin Tower.

P. Uthayakumar

www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Hindu Temple demolish: PKR & MIC Indian mandore Perak State Speakers’ wayang kulit.

Almost every day especially in the three Tamil dailies there are reports about some hindu temple, crematorium, Tamil schools or Indian settlements that is being demolished, given notice and/or threatened to be demolished or given notice to be relocated to another “dubious piece of land” which in turn would face demolishment anyway in a few years time to come. The latest being the Batu Gajah Hindu Temple (refer The Star 11/12/09 at page N56).

But here both the PKR and MIC Indian Perak State Speaker mandores are playing “wayang kulit”. When DAP, PKR and PAS were in power after March 8^th 2008 general elections, this DAP State Speaker Indian mandore could not secure his PAS “Tuan” Menteri Besar to grant Perak State Government land to this Batu Gajah Hindu temple. But within one month of coming to power the DAP, PKR and PAS state government granted land to 110,000 (almost all malay muslims) Rancangan Kampong Tersusun, 102,000 Chinese New Villagers, 3.3 hectres (about 10 acres) for each and every Orang Asli, 30 hectres for the Premier International University and with an option of another 20 additional hectres (The Selangor PKR led State government similarly granted 1,000 hectres for pig farmers in Sepang and an accompanying RM 100 Million grant).

But similarly land was refused to be granted for all Hindu temples, crematoriums and Tamil schools in Perak all of which are for the general public purposes. This could have been done by merely the stroke of the PAS Perak Menteri Besar’s pen. And this DAP Indian mandore Speaker never uttered a word then. Now that he is out of power only now he wants to champion this hindu temple and other Indian causes etc.

Similarly the MIC mandore speaker is now in power but he too cannot get his “Tuan” Menteri Besar to grant Perak State government land to this Batu Gajah hindu temple and all hindu temples, crematoriums and to all the 138 Tamil schools in Perak. Thus the wayang kulit tale of the two Indian DAP and MIC mandore Speakers in Perak.

P. Uthayakumar.

HRP Secretary General

Elite MCKK not for Indians under Najib’s 1 Malaysia!

After 52 years of independence, it is about time the UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malaysia elite Malay College Kuala Kangsar opened it’s doors to all Malaysians in particular the Malaysian Indians who have been the most sidelined in the national mainstream development of Malaysia.

After all this merely complies with Article 12 of the Federal Constitution which stipulates that there shall be no religious or racial discrimination in any educational institution which is funded by and the Malay-sian government. Similarly UITM which has 120,000 malay muslim only students should also open up to in particular the Malaysian Indians.

But UMNO plays wayang kulit obsolete politics by reporting in their media that “the perception that racism rules the daily lives of Malaysians” does not exist and is not a reality (refer NST 14/12/09 at page 11). No more after 25^th November 2007 though!

P. Utahayakumar.

HRP Secretary General

www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Banggarma sues to declare conversion unlawful

The Sun

Himanshu Bhatt

GEORGE TOWN (Dec 23, 2009) : S. Banggarma, 27, who claims to have been illegally converted to Islam while at a government welfare home about 20 years ago, today took legal action to declare her conversion unlawful.

Banggarma, whose identity card carries the name Siti Hasnah Vangarama binti Abdullah, is seeking a court declaration that the conversion process was unlawful as she was then a child, and that the conversion certificate is "ineffective, null and void ab initio".

In a civil suit filed at the Penang High Court today, she is also seeking to have the name on her IC changed to her Hindu one, and for the designation 'Islam' to be deleted from the card.

Named as defendants in her suit were former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in his capacity as president of the Muslim Welfare Organisation Malaysia (Perkim), then Perkim official Raimi Abdullah, the Penang Islamic Council (MAIPP) and the Penang City Kadi (Islamic judge).

The suit does not seek any monetary compensation.

Banggarma who was accompanied by her husband, fisherman S. Sockalingam, 31, and their two children S. Kanagaraj, 8, and S. Hisyanthini, 2, and some supporters, later performed a Hindu ritual of smashing a coconut in front of the court house, to invoke blessings.

In her affidavit, Banggarma said she was taken by Raimi and Muballigh officials from the MAIPP, to the Kadi to be converted into a Muslim on Dec 28, 1989 where she was then instructed by the Kadi to take the affirmation of faith, the 'Kalimah Syahadah’ in their presence.

She stressed that she did not and could not have, at that time, understood the contents and meaning of the words in the Declaration to Convert into Islam certificate which she was asked to recite, utter and execute.

"As a child of merely seven years of age, I did not have any choice except to obey the directions given by the defendants to take the affirmation of oath," she said.

She said she was ignorant that her conversion process was defective and bad in law, and that she could legally challenge it, until she had been advised about it by her solicitor.

"Banggarma is seeking the court’s assistance to solve her predicament of having been unlawfully converted into Islam when she was seven years old, so that she may be able to live her life and practise her Hindu faith freely and openly," said her lawyer Gooi Hsiao Leung in a statement.

Gooi said the decision was made after the MAIPP had been unhelpful when approached.

"Even more worrying is that the fact that after Banggarma’s case was highlighted, the police went to Banggarma’s home looking for her without giving any reasons whatsoever," he added.

"We are concerned about Banggarma’s safety and we call upon the authorities to show restraint and not to harass our client, pending this legal action," he added.

Kg.Buah Pala Muruga who went to UNESCO to Save Kg.Buah Pala pass away

The man know as Muruga and called as London Boy of Kampung Buah Pala was laid to rest this evening at Batu Lanchang crematorium. He passed away on 23rd December 2009 @ 3.30am and was cremated the same day at 4.00pm at Penang Indian cemetary at Batu Lancang.

Muruga was the representative of Kampong Buah Pala who was sent to the UNESCO office in Paris at the height of the Kampung Buah Pala Demolition episode to seek UNESCO’s assistances to stop the demolition of the Indian heritage village Kampung Buah Pala.

Of late he was disturbed by the agony of the enforcement agency under Lim Guan Eng. His cattle , forced off from Kampung Buah Pala and without proper alternative land were seized on grounds that they were roaming at residental area. In fact they were seized at the top of an adjacent uninhabited hill by the enforcement agency. A police report was made to the effect by Muruga that Lim Guan Eng was the man responsible for the the act.

Eventually the enforcement agency agreed to settle the issue without compounding for the offence (which was not commited by the cows or the owners) if Muruga was willing to withdraw the police report made against the enforcement agency and Lim Guan Eng. On the 21st of December 2009 Muruga withdrew the police report as instructed by the enforcement agency. However the enfrocement agency did not keep to their word. After viewing the withdrawal of the police report the enforcement agency head conveniently told Muruga that the settlement offer was withdrawn and requested Muruga to pay the compound of about RM480.00 in order to get his cattle back.

This act of the enforcement agency has upset Muruga very much and his health deteriorated further. The enforcement Agency did not give a damn that Muruga was a heart patient. This has now resulted in the death of Muruga.

This is what the Indians of Peneng have effectively got with the DAP Government of Penang. They hound the Indians who dare stand up to their nonsense and in cases like Muruga, where there is already an ailment, just kills them off. Yes, this is DAP for the prosperity of Indians in all of Malaysia.

HRP and HINDRAF prays that may Muruga’s soul rest in peace

K.Maran

HRP Penang Chief

HINDRAF and HRP gave last respect

CAP:Increase in Indians declared bankrupts, properties seized for auction.

So says the Consumer Association of Penangs’ N.V. Subbarow (ref The Star 7/12/09 page N43).

This has to do with UMNO’s blatant policy of excluding the Indians from the national mainstream development of Malaysia. The UMNO government has been systematically denying Indians licences to trade, to do business denying them the preferential low interest loans, if not the outright business grants that is offered to the Bumiputra businessmen.

This kind of direct and blatant discrimination does not happen in any other part of the world except in racist UMNO Malay-sian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malay-sia.

P. Uthayakumar

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Poor & Homeless Indians, denied DBKL flats in Sentul

Poor & Homeless Indians, denied DBKL flats in the Sentul area where they have been working. For the past four months they have been living at a community hall. (Starmetro 21/12/2009 at page M4)

Poor and working class Indians living among snakes, mosquitoes and centipedes.

Indians living among snakes, mosquitoes and centipedes - read the report below. (Refer The Star 21/12/2009 at page N 49). This is the continuing plight of the poor and working class Indians and what we see in the press and in these columns are just the tip of the iceberg of the problems of the poor and working class Indians – which is being ignored by the UMNO and PR governments. They do not have the political will to address these problems squarely. By highlighting these problems regularly we want to join the dots and show the big picture on these problems. We do not quite appreciate the true magnitude of the problem when we see them individually. As we highlight in our columns we want to continuously bring to the fore those individual problems reported here and there and build an aggregate picture - joining the dots.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE LEADERS OF PAKATAN RAKYAT ON THE COMMON POLICY FRAME

It is one thing to come up with a document like the Common Policy Frame, it is another thing to realize it in practice. What really matters to the people is whether all the leaders of Pakatan Rakyat coalition really understand themselves what is contained in that document with all its implications and whether they really mean all of that.

Let me first first quote from Dato Zaid Ibrahim’s speech

“Pakatan rejects policies that allow for corruption and other financial crimes and abuse of power. In order to ensure sustainable growth, oppressive policies that had only enriched the few should be replaced with a policy that ensures that the poor are assisted regardless of race.”

And I also quote from the CPF Section (3) Social Justice, subsection (B) on religion, with a focus on para 5

3. SOCIAL JUSTICE

B. Religion
Religion and other beliefs practiced by Malaysians should form the basis of unity that is founded on good universal values.

Malaysians have almost fallen into the boiling pot of discord and tension that was caused by manipulation of religious differences.

This should not happen in a genuinely democratic Malaysia, with Islam occupying a special position whilst the rights of other religions are guaranteed.

Pakatan vows to:

…..

…….

5. Ensure suitable areas for places of worship and burial grounds for all religions.

Now let me pose this situation to the leaders of PR and see what the PR leaders would like to do on the matter. This is one issue, may not be large in its scope, but it will be telling about seriousness of the PR leaders in relation to their pronouncements in the CPF. We do not expect a written response. We are interested in seeing the CPF spirit being applied in the situation. This is a test of the pudding, so to speak. Do they really mean what they say in the CPF document or are there some fine print we may all be missing out on.

In Kuala Ketil, Kedah, a Hindu Burial Ground that has been there from before independence is on the verge of being demolished by the Kedah State PR Government because the PR government there wants to build a Kolej around it now. This is development effort, we applaud it. But it is about the method they have chosen to go about this, that raises some questions in relation to the Common Policy Frame. Basically we want to see how the Common Policy Frame relates to the needs, interests and rights of the poor and the marginalized.

1) This Hindu Burial Ground was obviously not considered for preservation at the outset of the Development project by the Kedah State PR government. Otherwise we would not have a problem here now.

Now that the CPF says - ensure suitable areas for places for burial ground for all religions. Should not the State government stop and reconsider what their decision should be now or should theyproceed with the demolishment nevertheless.

Surely “suitable areas” does not mean a definition of suitability for the developer or for the state only. Surely it must mean suitability for the people as well. Therefore the unilateral decision by the PR State Government of Kedah to demolish the existing burial grounds and to merge it with pre-existing other burial grounds is inconsistent with the CPF document. So, should the State PR government pause for a while to review the situation in light of the CPF.

This is a real opportunity for the demonstration of the inclusive values espoused in the CPF. The consideration of the interests and need of all the people and involvement of all the people in decisions affecting them is concrete expression of this inclusiveness. If this not to happen, it raises the question as to what the word “Common” in the Common Policy Frame really means – common to whom, common for what. Is it Common to the poor and marginalized as well or is that common for a select few only?

2) The Kedah State PR Government instead of resolving this issue with the proper representative Association, the Kuala Ketil Tamilar Association, it now calls it haram, (even though it has had several discussions with the association previously until a deadlock happened) is now trying to get around is offering a general offer to each of the poor families RM3,000 there to dig up the graves and move the remains over to the other pre-existing burial grounds.

This is already atrocious in itself. Now with the position of Pakatan on corruption as stated by Dato Zaid Ibrahima and let me quote

“Pakatan rejects policies that allow for corruption and abuse of power. In order to ensure sustainable growth, oppressive policies that had only enriched the few should be replaced with a policy that ensures that the poor are assisted regardless of race.” it makes it all the more urgent and necessary for the Kedah State Government to stop this corrupting act immediately and sit down with the legitimate representatives of the people there and hammer out an equitable and acceptable solution.

Does not the payment of RM 3,000 to each of the poor families while circumventing the Association not amount to corruption. When such inducements are offered to the poor, the response is a given, they are poor. This is exactly the method that has been used to usurp the basic entitlements of the poor and marginalized all these years since Independence. Give them peanuts and take away their fundamental rights.

The UMNO government used exactly this method of corruption by regularly offering inducements to the MIC Mandores and had them forsake the rights and opportunities of the Indians for the last 50+ years. This is what caused the big rebellion among the Indians. This is what the Pakatan seeks to change. So, here is an opportunity. Now what will Pakatan’s position be on this matter?

Sustainable growth and policies that ensure that the poor are assisted regardless of race surely means a permanent resolution to the question of land in so many areas relating to the Indian poor – burial grounds, places of worship, squatter settlements, Tamil schools to name the major areas. In this case, sustainable growth will translate to having a Master plan for all these issues, may be now starting withburial grounds for the Hindu dead in Kedah. This is the substance of sustainable growth – a consideration of all requirements and optimization for the various requirements at planning stages so nothing valuable is compromised, everything is considered and the

right balance is achieved.

This is our request to Pakatan. Please show us that you are serious about the Common Policy Frame. Please show us it is not just a vote-getting device. Show us now, before we vote. Show us you are different from the Barisan in Truth.

Narayanan Ganesan

Pro-Tem Central Committee Member and Advisor to the Human Rights Party

Batu Gajah Kaliaman Hindu temple to be demolished

Batu Gajah Kaliaman Hindu temple to be demolished. In the one year or so of P.R. rule of Perak land was never issued to this Hindu temple or all the other Hindu temples and in particular the 138 Tamil schools in Perak (refer Malaysia Nanban 9/12/09 page 4). And now the new UMNO Perak government wants to demolish it.

P. Uthayakumar

People want MACC to catch big fish, not small fry

(The Star) - The time has come for real action from the Government to fight corruption instead of pussy-footing around, said Transparency International Malaysia president Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam.

He said if the Government continued talking without real action, people would get frustrated and disillusioned and eventually they would lash back via the ballot box.

“Don’t pussy-foot,” he said when commenting on recommendations in fighting graft at the two-day Government Transformation Pro gramme open day last week.

Many members of the public who attended the programme had questioned why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was only interested in catching the “small fry” and did not seemed to be interested in catching the jerung (sharks).

Corruption Lab leader Datuk Hashim Nordin, who is special officer to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, in his reply had said it was a lot harder to catch the big fish as they tended to be more sophisticated and more professional in their acts.

Ramon said the programme had generated some good recommendations, including calls for the MACC to investigate politicians and businessmen and those who were living beyond their means without waiting for public complaints and for it to report directly to Parliament.

He said the law would have to be amended quickly to reflect the Government’s urgency in fighting corruption.

He said until the “big fish” were taken to court and punished, people would continue to doubt the commission’s sincerity.

Ramon, who is MACC panel of presentation and consultation chairman, said so far no top political leaders have been charged and convicted for corruption.

Citing the Port Klang Free Zone scandal as an example, he said although former Port Klang Authority general manager Datin Paduka O.C. Phang was charged in court, she was not the real “big fish” as there were people in higher levels.

Social Care Foundation chairman Tan Sri Robert Phang concurred that in the PKFZ scandal, bigwigs were named by the Public Account Committee but none of them were brought to court.

“Those implicated must be given a chance to explain in the court, not in Parliament. The rakyat want to know the whole truth.”

He said the PKFZ scandal was an acid test for the Government and there was a need for political will to be executed without fear and favour.

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye also said that despite many Government announcements to fight corruption, the people have yet to see real results.