QUICK TAKE: The person in the country’s driving seat is a lucky man.
There seems to be no shortage of people ready to defend him and his administration.
The latest to step up to bat is none other than the former head of the Malaysian chapter of Transparency International, Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim who has criticised the NGO's international president for targeting Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak over his RM2.6 billion scandal.
In particular, Abdul Aziz, who is also on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory board, took issue with TI president José Ugaz's statement that Malaysia is facing a crisis of corruption.
"I think this statement is ill-advised and ill-informed.
"It is just an opinion which is based on unconfirmed reports," Abdul Aziz told journalists at the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Putrajaya today.
International anti-graft figures has been convening in Putrajaya since yesterday for the high-profile three-day conference, where Ugaz delivered the scathing speech on the RM 2.6 billion “donation” scandal during its opening ceremony.
Abdul Aziz insisted that Ugaz's view was only one side of the story.
"It was a one-sided statement. He should have taken the trouble to give a balanced view by asking people who are informed about this," he added.
Well, Abdul Aziz, if Ugaz is ill-informed then who is informed? The people want to know.
Malaysians have seen how those who had been tasked with investigating the matter and asking for answers were then sacked, arrested or transferred.
These were informed people and look what happened to them.
Look what happened to the Public Accounts Committee and the high-powered task force formed to investigate the donation allegations.
The PAC was effectively paralysed due to the appointment of some of its members to ministerial positions, and the task force was then dissolved.
So what does this say about Abdul Aziz’s commitment to transparency?
Shouldn’t he be supporting Ugaz’s statement?
These are blatant obstructions of the investigations, and Abdul Aziz should know this.
According to a report by The Malaysian Insider published a day after his defence of Putrajaya, Abdul Aziz said there has apparently been some meddling in the investigations.
"Yes, apparently there has been interference and I think it's unfortunate.”
"The timing is all wrong. It was ill-advised on the part of government to have made all these changes while investigations were in progress," he said.
How ironic and confusing.
Abdul Aziz also sounded foolish by saying Ugaz, the head of an international body is ill-advised and ill-informed.
Ugaz’s speech is not just an opinion based on an unconfirmed report.
His observations were based on events which transpired following theWall Street Journal report, and even the public are aware and have been raising these very questions.
If the report about the “donation” is “unconfirmed”, then the government should answer the allegations by suing the Wall Street Journal.
That would be a slap in the face to the detractors, schemers and even Ugaz.
It is also highly ironic for Abdul Aziz to talk about making opinions based on unconfirmed reports in the wake of his own sweeping statements, that Bersih 4 was funded and organised by the Chinese community, when he did not have any proof whatsoever.
It is hard to believe this very man had once championed transparency and good governance.
Surely, Abdul Aziz will not be remembered fondly for his recent antics.
Looks like just as the others who defended Najib got rewards, so Abdul Aziz is likely to have been paid handsomely for going against his integrity, beliefs!!! Where are all the upright, well-meaning, fair, just, honourable men???
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