A group of former Anti-Corruption Agency officers and their spouses during their quarterly reunion luncheon at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur.
WITH “Jiwa Merdeka” in their hearts, a group of retired police cum Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) officers want to see the country free from graft.
Datuk Abdul Razak Idris, 75, the leader of the group, told StarMetro that although the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was doing a good job in pursuing those involved in such activites, more still needed to be done.
He pointed out that the amount of gratifications involved in corruption cases had increased over time.
“I was involved in the investigation involving former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Harun Idris,” he recalled.
“He was convicted of accepting a RM250,000 bribe from a bank to facilitate land acquisition. And that was the biggest amount back then.
Some of the ex-police and MACC officers at Royal Lake Club on August 28.
“However, the amount of money involved in present corruption cases can easily exceed billions,” said Abdul Razak, who was ACA’s senior assistant commissioner, serving the agency from 1976 to 2004.
ACA was the MACC’s predecessor agency formed in 1967 by recruiting members from the police’s Crime Investigation Department (Special Crimes), Attorney General’s Chamber’s prosecution section and a small anti-corruption unit under the Prime Minister’s Department.
Abdul Razak urged the MACC to enhance its corruption prevention network, especially among politicians, besides pursuing the “big fish”.
“MACC should show no mercy and take stern action against those who are corrupt and win the people’s support.
“The people must also support MACC’s efforts against those who are corrupt.
“They must be broad-minded enough to differentiate between the clean and corrupted ones,” he said at the group’s quarterly reunion luncheon at the Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur.
The group currently consists of some 20 former police-cum-ACA officers, who were forerunners of the anti-corruption agency in Malaysia.
It was formed in 2000 by the late Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Ismail, a former ACA director who rose to became the deputy inspector-general of the police.
Nordin Saidin, 79, who served the ACA in various states from 1970 to 1999, urged anti-corruption officers to keep “Jiwa Merdeka” in mind, so that they are free to do what they should do.
“MACC, objectively, is an independent entity. All of its officers must without fail, bear this in mind.
“They must be free from all the temptations and pressures when carrying out their duties,” he said.
Meanwhile, Datuk N. Sri Shanmuganathan, 77, who was an investigation officer in National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from 1974 to 1977, said anti-corruption awareness must be raised among schoolchildren.
“We need to have a curriculum that constantly reminds children that corruption is bad. They would then remind their parents not to engage in corruption.
“Merdeka means freedom. Therefore, we must put in our hearts and souls into ensure that all Malaysians have the freedom to do the right thing,” said Sri Shanmuganathan.
