Last week when I read theSun’s article on the arrest of Tun Dr Ling (TDL) over the PKFZ scandal, one interesting bit turned up:
When asked about more arrests in January Abdul Gani had told theSun: “You don’t swindle that kind of money if you’re not a big fish. So let’s get this straight first then we go to the next one.”
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=50115
It is exactly what I have been thinking about when assessing the many scandals that have plagued the BN government. Somehow the idea that a mere sergeant in the RMAF can pull off the theft of two jet engines doesn’t stand logical scrutiny. Sime Darby face a loss of RM 1 billion (potentially double that) and a senior employee in Sime Darby has recently been arrested and charged for leaking business bidding details. You don’t get the impression that they are zooming in on the big fishes. I’m old enough to remember the BMF scandal – RM 2 billion and a murder – and a couple more scandals in Bank Bumiputra requiring tax payer bailouts each time. There was the failed attempt to corner the tin market with Bank Negara losing billions. No big fishes caught or prosecuted. MAS under Tajuddin – with the government buying his shares of MAS at RM8 when the market price was then RM 3.68. Parliament would not even debate the matter. Big fishes must have lurked in those murky waters.
http://malayscandals.blogspot.com/2007/08/scandal.html
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/7/11/parliament/14799589&sec=parliament
On a similar vein, it doesn’t take a great deal to come to the conclusion that when information about a scandal is hard to come by, it is usually because some big fishes are involved. Why else would the government not come clean when its own reputation is being tarnished? In the case of Altantuya’s murder, 2 policemen – a chief inspector and a corporal – were found guilty. Small fries who stand to gain nothing and had no ties with the murdered woman. The married man who was involved with the woman, who was harassed by her for money, was acquitted. Teoh Beng Hock, accused of committing suicide at the MACC headquarters before his wedding day, with an unborn baby he will never meet. Anwar Ibrahim, denied access to documents that can help shed light on the truth.
It is no wonder that I don’t quite trust this government. There does not seem to be a sincerity in going after the truth, and the big fishes. My reaction reading about TDL? The charge is for deceiving the Cabinet on valuation of PKFZ land. Looks like a technicality. Either he will go the way of another MCA president, or he will be acquitted. Either way, I’m with the Attorney-General in thinking that there are bigger fishes to fry.
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
