Has Graft Become Part Of Malaysian Culture

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The first thing you do when your computer is attacked by a virus is to have it “cleaned” so you can continue to communicate and work.
Contained in the hard disk are your files, templates, photos, recipes, bank statements and other personal details. Can you imagine life without the computer? Do you recall the days of churning out a letter on a typewriter, or going to the local library to have your document scanned, or having to go to the corner shop with the battered printer, to print a letter?
So, why does the rakyat not place the same importance on tackling one of the country’s most pressing problems: corruption?
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We claim that we cannot easily get rid of corruption because it is ingrained in us. Yet, when we are stopped at a roadblock, we happily dish out RM50 to “avoid the hassle”. Do we even bother to tell the officers that we have not done anything wrong?
Has corruption been around for so long that it has become entrenched in our lives, and we have come to accept it as part of Malaysian culture?
A senior politician in Perak, said to be close to a former menteri besar, once said: “Even I am not spared. As I enter the land office, to find out the progress of a land application, I am expected to hand over RM100 to the ‘jaga pintu’ and thereafter, the ‘gifts’ increase with seniority.”
If this individual cannot escape from this problem, how can the rest of the rakyat escape the grip of corruption?
This multi-millionaire can easily afford a few hundred ringgit, but that is not the point. The civil servant should be doing his job, without having to be paid an extra fee.
So, how do the unwritten rules work for the rest of us? Do the “unofficial” rates go up if one is perceived to be wealthy? Do prominent citizens get a “reduced rate”? Are the rates based on race – just as taking a boat to Perhentian can cost the Western tourist more than the local tourist who, in turn, pays a higher fee than the local kampung residents?
If anyone wants to renovate his house, he and his builder must adhere to a set of rules and regulations. If the renovation carried out by his neighbour overshadows his property, blocks out all light and dominates the skyline, he can lodge his complaint at the city office, but will it work?
The local council would have “approved” the construction, but many people in the past have said that their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. So, did corruption find its way to the relevant government department, and an illegal renovation that should not have taken place was approved after money changed hands?
Would lodging a complaint with the anti-corruption agency be better? Most people claim that this course of action is time-consuming and pointless, because the outcome will be “no further action”.
Do controversial businessmen and developers use their wealth and influence to make friends with the upper echelons of society, so they can bypass some of the rules, or use their friendship to avoid prosecution for crime?
There are many people whose fortunes are built on dubious deals. Are people frightened to blow the whistle? Or do they themselves hope to gain from these dodgy business deals?
Which is better? Is it more advantageous to become a wealthy tycoon and then worm one’s way into a position of influence in a political party? Or is it better to rise up the ranks of the party, and then amass a fortune while in office?
Or none of the above?
Corruption cannot be eradicated without political will. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

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