MACC should probe past cases to weed out corruption

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 IF a Grade 42 Immigration officer can accumulate money and assets worth RM6.57 million within two to three years, what is there to prevent higher grade officers from amassing an even bigger loot?

This is the public’s current perception of graft.

These senior ranking officers can even develop a sophisticated network to hide their ill-gotten gains.

Is the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigating this possibility?

Without casting any aspersions on the Immigration Department and its staff, which on the whole have performed well, a corrupt network is not impossible.

There are people who have committed corrupt practices but are lucky in that they have not been apprehended.

One of the most glaring signs that corruption is present is when one lives beyond his means.

If the MACC casts its investigative net wide enough, it will find that there are people living beyond their means.

We must remember they are only civil servants.

They can, but are highly unlikely to become multi-millionaires overnight, especially after retirement.

We urge the MACC to revisit past cases, including the validity of poison pen letters, as many dare not make formal reports for fear of reprisal.

While we must congratulate the MACC for its excellent work, the public’s perception is that not all corruption cases are treated justly.

The anti-graft agency must work harder to weed out corrupt practices.

To this end, we must salute MACC chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad for his commitment and dedication.

DATUK AHMAD SIDEK Petaling Jaya, Selangor