Scrutinise unusual activities
IF we really want to control and eradicate financial crimes involving corruption and abuse of power in the country, everybody must actively and constructively play their role.
We cannot leave the matter to be handled solely by police or the Malaysian Anti–Corruption Commission.
Everyone must be alert of their surroundings and report any mysterious, unexplained or suspicious activities to the relevant authorities instead of doing nothing or turning their doubt over the issue into worthless gossip.
It is important to know there are many ways for us to prove financial crimes due to corruption and abuse of power committed by any individual.
One of the ways is by looking at the circumstantial evidence through the sudden changes in the lifestyle of the suspect and their family.
Any unexplained wealth or lavish lifestyle belonging to anyone will certainly raise doubt and suspicion within the mind of any reasonable human being.
Any rational person will always want to seek answers to any matters that raise their suspicion and this includes sudden wealth and lavish lifestyles belonging to any individual.
The only problem now is most of these suspicions are kept by the individuals themselves and being turned into daily gossip, which will not bring any significant changes in our ongoing effort to control and eradicate crimes involving corruption and abuse of power.
If we observe closely, many reported financial crimes due to corruption and abuse of power involve unexplained wealth and lavish lifestyles on display by the suspects themselves including their family members.
Worth noting is that the temptation to show off wealth to other people, which the suspect has procured through such crimes, becomes irresistible to the suspect and their family themselves.
With the presence of modern social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter and others, such temptations to show off will become easy and fun for them to do.
Over the last few years, many of the items seized by authorities from the suspects and their families over the related crimes are relatively expensive or lavish items such as jewellery, branded watches, cars and others. There is also evidence of constant overseas trips using first or business class flights.
It is highly impossible for any ordinary person, including a government servant to obtain those items mentioned regardless of their rank in the service.
As for government servants, it is true they enjoy a high salary along with certain allowances, but with the cost of living rising and economic uncertainty faced by the country due to the spread of Covid-19, government salaries in the country can only allow them to live a simple or moderate lifestyle, certainly not to enjoy the lifestyle of a millionaire or a billionaire.
If any ordinary person including a government servant and their family started flaunting their unexplained wealth or lavish lifestyle to others, either through their daily life or social media, it is time for us to be brave and ask questions over their source of income.
If the explanation given is not satisfactory or very doubtful, we can take the matter to a higher level by reporting the matter to any relevant authorities for proper or formal investigations to be carry out.
Such indication over the sudden changes in their lifestyle can also become circumstantial evidence under the Evidence Act 1950 [Act 56], which can later be used along with other evidence to implicate the suspect themselves for the crimes they have been charged with.
Beyond that, to control and eradicate financial crimes due to corruption and abuse of power in the country will take many years.
That being said, this should not deter us from continuing our struggle to combat this serious issue regardless of how long it takes.
If everybody is sincere and determined to put an end to such problems in our country, they must play their role.