The document discusses corruption in Malaysia and calls for citizens to form an Anti-Corruption Commitment Alliance (ACCA) to establish new anti-corruption values and hold leaders accountable. It notes that while the former UMNO president promised anti-corruption reforms, current UMNO leadership sees proven corruption as a "technical matter." It argues corruption violates religious and moral standards, and ordinary citizens simply want a clean government and country free of serious corruption. It closes by calling on leaders to have courage and wisdom to pursue righteousness and justice.

1. The indiscipline of corruption KJ JohnOct 13, 0910:37am My late Professor Datuk Dr Mokhzani Abd Rahim and former Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administration at the University of Malaya once said publicly at a UMW Seminar hosted by the late Tan Sri Eric Chia in the early 1980s that Malays do not take a serious view about discipline. I even repeated this observation when I was part of the Senior Management at Mimos Berhad when I noticed the obvious tolerance of the indiscipline of corruption. When these two observed truths are put together into a mental model one can understand why Umno still tolerates the indiscipline of corruption.We the people thought that the former Umno President finally had ushered into the nation new values of anti corruption along the lines of
bersih, cekap, and amanah
and had set that standard for the nation with even a promised Police Commission and the a new ACA, now called MACC.We the people in fact gave him 94 percent of our votes in full and total agreement. But, that Umno President is now history and current Umno values calls
such indiscipline only a technical matter;
and not really corruption. Even worse, at Branch and State levels of Umno, they had unanimously agreed to nominate the former
proven to be corrupt VP
as their candidate for the by-election in Bagan Pinang. Even Umno HQ has also agreed and fully endorsed this candidate. In fact, no one of any standing in Umno (other than Ku Li and TDM) has spoken against it;= not even my friend Shahrir Samad. This then represents Umno's value of leadership exemplified on the issue of the indiscipline of corruption.Simply say no to corruptionThankfully though, three outspoken civil society commentators have totally disagreed with this operative value. And therefore I think and believe that there is still hope in this country for an anti corruption alliance made up of ordinary and simple people who want to say:
NO to bribery and corruption.
These three civil society activists have encouraged me to reflect more on this subject and therefore I choose to write about it now, after the events of last week. The three are the Aliran president, and bloggers, Tohkong Mosjid and Thomas Lee. Our nation needs a new standard and improved quality of anti corruption values. Can I therefore invite ordinary people to start a movement called an Anti Corruption Commitment Alliance, or ACCA? No, I do not mean that we ask accountants to write our new standards, but rather that
all citizens who want to see this new value applied in all areas of life come together to form a new network as a force of influence?
Much like
the so called third force in MCA
who chose to
cut off the corrupted fish head of both representative leaders?
Can we call this the ACCA of ordinary citizenship, a new value system that holds not just one man and his partners accountable but also uses God's values about truth and justice to redefine our values in our lived environment: that human existence is for the furtherance and pursuance of justice for all communities on earth and not just our own.Traditional accounting only deals with a stake and share holder analysis which is inclusive but excludes the rest of marginalized and uninvolved community. Even if we bring the Corporate Social Responsibility angle into our thinking and calculation, the marginalized and disconnected are excluded. I am therefore calling for a value principle of accountability premised on the God ordained ideal of human responsibility, which can be viewed as human stewardship of God's values.My theology of corruptionIf Man is created by God and made in His Image, to have a conscience and make choices as does God, then, what is revealed by this God about what is good, true and right remains the critical issues of rightness which we often call righteousness. Does any religion or spiritual teaching for that matter have any doubts in their definitions about corruption? Corruption simply put is a moral deviation from a standard of what we have agreed is not right, or true, or not good. This definition and standard becomes our morality of corruption. Therefore, if Umno defined that
using money as undue influence to convince others to vote for you is wrong,
then, any deviation from this standard is corruption. There is no need for a re definition of what is
technical corruption and what is technical non corruption.
Corruption is corruption. If the Umno Supreme Council agreed with the Disciplinary Committee (and, Najib was a deputy president), then corruption has occurred and a standard had been clearly violated.Therefore, dear President of Umno and Prime Minister of Malaysia, please do not re-rationalize the current corruption of our national values. It is not just a technical matter. Righteousness must prevailOver the past weekend two sets of votes were taken for or against this indiscipline of corruption. We the people were not directly involved in those particular choices but please be aware that the choices made will now challenge the National Front Coalition you call BN. left0We the people can only continue to pray that righteousness prevails. We cannot change anything else until the next GE. Regardless, please be advised dear Sir that we the people are committed against this indiscipline of corruption. The PKFZ case has highlighted again the true and real corruption of values in Malaysia and further, as you are well aware, it is proven beyond doubt that the indiscipline of corruption engulfs the total public service system. Therefore, I applaud the Super Task Force made up of many
gazetted authority holders.
My only request to the chief secretary (of the civil service) is to please not leave any stone unturned.Reveal all indiscipline of corruption, call a spade a spade and let us clean up this country of corrupt values once and for all.Let us all take the real risk of leadership, which is to make a stand for righteousness.Let history decide whether it was a worthwhile risk or not. President Obama even won a Nobel Peace Prize for simply having the courage of audacity of hope.Minister Ong Tee Keat has paid for his stand against corruption. Lee Hwa Beng too has set a very good example by pursuing righteousness regardless of consequences. Even Paul Low has accepted collateral fire for his relationship in this issue.The ordinary people of Malaysia only want a simple and clean country devoid of any serious and untoward corruption. If Singapore can do it, surely we can do it too. Therefore, my prayer is that God will give the governing authorities the wisdom, strength and courage to seek justice, do good, and seek to live humbly before the face of a very Holy God. May God bless Malaysia!