Amnesty way to haul up corrupt officials

WHEN someone moves into a new home, it is customary to clean up the place, perform prayers and hold a house-warming party. And so it should be for the Pakatan Harapan leaders as they move into Putrajaya.

Nevertheless, it looks like there is so much to do to clean up the place where corruption has crept into all corners that the house-warming party will have to be delayed. I can see that if Pakatan wishes to clean up everything, it may take even a year, which is a lot of time wasted on just one aspect of governance.

To expedite the purging of corruption, I propose that an amnesty be initiated to encourage all corrupt officials to declare fully and faithfully all forms of bribes, favours and/or gifts they received in the course of their work.

The amnesty should be held for a fixed period of time and a team of prosecutors appointed to study all the confessions and then recommend to the Attorney General whether to proceed with litigation or to free them with suspended jail terms with or without fines. The prosecutors may also recommend minimum jail terms.

I sincerely hope many will come forward to make their confessions so that the matter can be settled as soon as possible. The Government may, at its discretion and with the approval of Parliament, offer lenient jail terms with or without fines to the offenders to encourage them to voluntarily make confessions, thus avoiding wasting the courts’ time.

DATUK JEYARAJ SUBRAMANIAM Kuala Lumpur