Thesun 2009-06-26 Page13 In The Line Of Duty

theSun

| FRIDAY JUNE 26 2009

13

TELLING IT AS IT IS

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In the line of duty FOR a custodian of the law, there can be no better example. Within weeks of assuming office, he had noticed something was not all right. He noticed that there were discrepancies in documentation and instead of leaving it to law enforcement agencies to investigate; he took it upon himself to chase the paper trail. Like a true investigator, the accomplices and those who had allowed it to

happen, were kept out of the loop and were moved out of handling finances and approvals. Having got everything in order, he called in the police. About RM500,000 had allegedly been siphoned by an officer who has since been indicted. For what has been described as a “heroic effort”, the Penang Syariah Department Chief Judge Yusuf Musa becomes the first recipient of the

letters

A question of accountability Ali Khamenei, who showered accolades upon Ahmadinejad’s triumph the day after the election even though there were numerous protests over the outcome from respected figures such as former president Muhammad Khatami. Indeed, Khamenei went further six days later in his Khutbah Jumaah (Friday Sermon) and harshly denounced protests against alleged electoral fraud. By coming out so strongly against Ahmadinejad’s opponents, the Supreme Leader compromised the integrity of his high office and sullied his own public image. Khamenei’s biased attitude and Ahmadinejad’s tarnished victory have widened the rift within the ruling class itself. There are perhaps more clerics and senior political personalities opposed to the Khamenei-Ahmadinejad rule today than before the election. This cleavage within the ruling religious-cumpolitical establishment may well turn out to be the single most significant consequence of the flawed Ahmadinejad electoral triumph. Even if it does not lead to immediate changes, the ruling clique obviously has lost a great deal of moral authority. Its brutal suppression of the mainly young voices of protest has alienated the clique from a significant segment of the populace. Its apparent lack of honesty and accountability vis-a-vis the recent election has undermined its credibility with its own people and with the world at large. How long will such a clique lord over its people when it has sacrificed principle for power? Dr Chandra Muzaffar President International Movement for a Just World

Don’t hesitate to help I AM a foreign resident. Recently, when I was going for my morning walk near my house, I saw a motorcyclist taking a fall after colliding with a dog. I was shocked and ran towards the teenager who was bruised on his hand and bleeding from his chin. I helped him up and picked up his motorbike and belongings. I gave him some tissue to wipe his blood and asked him if he could move. Luckily, he was all right except for the bleeding wound on his chin. I insisted he get an anti-tetanus injection and drove him to a

by their political masters, “invented” schemes to enrich themselves or steal from the government. Those who had previously snitched on them were victimised or transferred where they would remain silent. The award scheme started by the Penang Government must be applauded and it must be said that the good judge did not do it for the money. In him, there is a man of integ-

Innocent until proven guilty

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WHILE acknowledging that the total number of votes cast in some 50 districts had exceeded the total number of voters in those districts, the Iranian Council of Guardians maintains that the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was legitimate. A lot of fair-minded people inside and outside Iran will not be convinced. The 646 electoral irregularities cited by Ahmadinejad’s opponents – from ballot box stuffing to the sealing of ballot boxes before voting began to the expulsion of their polling agents from polling stations – are so serious that they warrant a full and free investigation into the conduct of the entire election. Every ballot should have been re-counted, the ballots should have been counter-checked against the electoral rolls and the names and identities of the voters should have been verified in the presence of not only the agents of all the four presidential candidates but also representatives of some non-Western electoral democracies. Such an open, transparent and comprehensive re-count would have eliminated the doubts and suspicions that persist in the minds of so many people about the outcome of the presidential election of June 12. Instead of demonstrating its commitment to accountability in the truest sense of the term, the Guardian Council chose to scrutinise only a small number of allegations of electoral malpractices and examined only 10% of the votes cast. The impression one gets is that the council is determined to ensure that the election result that gave a huge victory to incumbent Ahmadinejad is maintained at all costs. Its stance is similar to that of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah

state government’s inaugural award to encourage civil servants to fight corruption and misuse of funds. Corruption, leakages and misuse of funds have always been said to be the pillars of misadministration in the country. Because serious efforts were not taken to curb these ills, they have become “establishments” which were beyond reproach. Many individuals, some aided and abetted

nearby clinic. What shocked me was that no one else came forward to help. Some passers-by just stood and watched from a distance as if it was some kind of “drama”. To add insult to injury, a man told the injured motorcyclist that he was lucky to be alive and escaped not being run over by a speeding car. I believe to have a civilised and compassionate society, people here must show more concern for their fellow beings. Nizam Anwar Penang

WHILE the Penang government is to be commended for its zero tolerance to corruption, the act of awarding and announcing rewards to those who reveal wrongdoings raises several concerns. Why is the state government giving out rewards for those who report crimes, when it is already a legal obligation to do so? A person is committing an offence when not reporting crimes. Does reporting a crime mean that the suspect is guilty of the accusation? In the recent report of the fraudulent withdrawals from the fixed deposit account of bail money, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was reported to have said that the state government is leaving it to the MACC to investigate.

rity, a rare sight in our administrative system, these days. He knew something was wrong and he pursued it till the very end. We need more people like him who brook no nonsense of staff – whatever position they are in. It is hoped that the exemplary deed by Justice Yusuf will prompt many others to emulate what he had done. Hopefully, there will be many more to come after him.

Say no to loan-sharks

So who is verifying that the alleged crime did happen? Who is being charged with the crime? Who has been found guilty? By making announcements of the alleged crime and rewarding the whistleblower, didn’t he publically convict the missing clerk of the Syariah court even without proper investigations and trial? If that missing clerk is later apprehended and charged in court but is found to be not guilty, would he not have grounds to sue the state government for defamation? Was this action by the state government aimed at combating graft or just another political and publicity stunt?

I APPLAUD the move by the Home Ministry to “declare war”’ to wipe out the loan-shark menace. This menace to society has been allowed to grow in our country for too long and it is now time to wipe them all out because they are so inconsiderate and inhumane towards defaulters who are unable to settle the loan. Our government should also introduce a law to prosecute and jail the loan sharks. Who knows what other kind of crimes that the loan sharks indulge in with the money they collect from their lenders? They could be behind other serious crimes like prostitution and human trafficking. Our citizens who borrowed from them are at fault too because if there is no demand, there would be no supply. It is more sensible to borrow from licensed moneylenders or banks.

Adri Hemy Abdul Ghani Jeddah

Nadura Kamarulzaman Petaling Jaya