Pro-Corruption Agency?

What's eating the ACA? The Anti-Corruption Agency has threatened to jail two Opposition leaders if they won't surrender the whistle-blowers behind the infamous Lingam tape [ACA goes after PKR whistle-blowers].
This is the second time in recent weeks that the ACA has gotten wrong kinds of headlines with regards to the way it deals with whistle-blowers. See here.

PKR, the Opposition party involved, tells the ACA to take a hike:

Press Release
05 October 2007

(FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE)

Whistleblower will surface only at a Royal Commission of Inquiry

(Kuala Lumpur) President of the People's Justice Party (KeADILan), Datin Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today chided the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in its attempt to charge two members of her party – vice-president and senior human rights lawyer R. Sivarasa and party staff, Sim Tze Tsim – for refusing to reveal the source of the videotape that has scandalised the nation.

The videotape shows a conversation between lawyer VK Lingam and purportedly, the current Chief Justice, Tan Sri Ahmad Fairuz, where the fixing of judges sympathetic to the government was said to have occurred.

"The ACA should be after the offenders in the videotape, and not the messengers or the whistleblower.

"Unfortunately, this latest action allows the ACA to be perceived as yet another tool of the government, protecting those who are corrupt instead of victims of corruption," she said.

Dr. Wan Azizah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh, stressed that her party will go out of its way to protect, not just the two party members, but any member of public who has information on corruption and the misuse of powers.

"We will stand by these two men and the source of the videotape, and my party will never compromise any source with information on corruption to the authorities, until immunity is guarantee for the whistleblowers.

"In this case of the 'Lingam tape', the source will only surface at a Royal Commission of Inquiry," she added.

Dr. Wan Azizah also said KeADILan will be initiate discussions with other political parties and civil society, to come out with a Whistleblowers Act in Malaysia.

"We have been talking about having Whistleblowers Act for many years now, but this has been cast aside by the government who claims whistleblowers will be protected.

"It is clear that this is not true, and the time has come for us to begin work on this crucial piece of legislation." (END)

What I like/admire/love about the Indonesians ...

Satu Rumpun. The Rasa Sayange row between Malaysians and Indonesians shows how much we have drifted apart as neighbours. There may be 2, 3 or 4 million Indonesians working in our country and our homes, but as people we are two strangers ever ready to wring one another's necks at the slightest of provocation.
Unspun, the Malaysian blogger who lives and works in Jakarta for the last decade, wants to bridge the gap. He's asking Indonesian and Malaysian readers to state the one thing they love about one another.

It's all very easy to criticize but can we praise also? Just to kick things off Unspun, as a Malaysian who enjoys and prefers living in Indonesia, will wear two hats and tell you what I admire of each country. There are many things, naturally, but here's just one from each hat:
As a Malaysian I admire the self confidence of Indonesians. They are happy and contented to live in their own skins. They are all different orang (as in Sunda, Java, Maluku, Manado, Bali, Tionghua, India, Arab ...) but they all view and respect each other equally as Indonesians.
If I were to use my decade of living here to think as an Indonesia, I'd admire Malaysia's ability to build great infrastructure like its great highways and modern buildings that are clean, functional and not breaking down after six months.

Click here for the rest of Unspun's posting and add to his comment box.

What I like/love about Indonesia/Indonesians?
Samsons. Broery. Widyawati. Ratno Timoer. D'Lloyds.

What about you? Surely there's something you love about Indonesia. Spill it out.

p.s. I still think Rasa Sayange is a Singaporean song. It has the breezy, racy quality as other classics from the island such as Geylang si paku Geylang and Tanjung Katong (Airnye Biru). Indonesia's traditional songs tend to be sombre-souding and slow-tempo (Bengawan Solo, Terang Bulan).

Libre!

Give Peace (in Myanmar) a chance.
Read a Malaysian's adventure in Yangon and his search for a RM20 Sity Nurhaliza in a junta meathouse.

Wow-Wee, the RM40 million man

Damages for wrongful ex-parte injunction. Lawyer-politician Wee Choo Keong, who in April won a 14-year appeal against an ex-parte injunction wrongly obtained by MBf Holdings Bhd and MBf Finance Bhd (now known as Ambank Bhd) against him, has filed for damages amounting to RM40 million against Ambank Bhd.

Wee filed the affidavit yesterday and the court accepted it today and has fixed 23-11-07 for cross-examination, if need be. MBf Holding Bhd and Ambank must file their affidavit two weeks before 23-11-07. The case today was heard before Senior Assistant Registrar, Puan Nor Hayati.

Read previous postings here.

p.s. Wee joined the lawyers for the walk for justice last week. His name also cropped up in the Lingam tape. Jeff Ooi had the pic and story here.