2
Address concerns and
we will back Bill, says DAP
KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP will consider
supporting the Malaysian Anti Corruption
Commission (MACC) Bill, its secretary-
general, Lim Guan Eng, said yesterday.
“The DAP central executive committee
(CEC) had an emergency meeting last night
(Wednesday) to consider the possibility, for
the first time, of supporting a Bill proposed
by the federal government,” he said.
“During the meeting, we had reservations
about the Bill but we also recognise that
there are important steps forward, especially
in giving the commission the power to
initiate prosecutions. (However) it does not
go all the way, it only goes halfway.”
Lim criticised the powers of the attorney-
general, saying “the A-G still has the powers
to decide on prosecutions”.
“The CEC meeting considered this
issue and we are willing to support the
Bill in Parliament but we also want the
government to address this concern,” he
said.
He said Article 145 inherently limited the
powers of the commission in prosecutions.
“It is clear that under Clause 58, the
A-G can still intervene and intercede in the
prosecution because under Article 145 of the
Federal Constitution, it is clearly spelt out
that only the A-G has prosecutory powers.
So, unless this is amended, the commission
will not be completely independent,” he
said.
“We feel that the commission should
have full powers of prosecution and
to facilitate that, there should be an
amendment of Article 145 of the Federal
Constitution. The DAP is willing to support
this amendment.”
Lim pointed out that the Barisan Nasional
government lacked the two-thirds majority
to amend the Constitution. However, such
an amendment is necessary before the DAP
can fully back the Bill.
“We will only support if the government
amends the Constitution and removes
Clause 58, and the DAP is willing to consider
supporting the Bill, but they must address
these concerns, especially the powers of the
A-G ... that the commission has the power to
initiate cases without reference to the A-G,”
he said.
Lim called for the Select Committee “to
expressly include MPs from both sides of
Parliament”.
“The other concern is the Select
Committee, where MPs and senators will
be appointed to advise the prime minister.
I think it must be clearly spelt out that
the committee must have opposition MPs
as well as recognised non-governmental
organisations (NGOs) like Transparency
International,” he said.
He said the Act should make it
compulsory for the commission’s report to
be debated and approved in Parliament.
Lim also hoped that Datuk Seri Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi could arrange a meeting
as soon as possible to brief MPs on the Bill
before it is debated on Monday.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) information
chief Tian Chua said the MACC Bill “has
fallen short of expectations” and was drafted
Azmi (left) and the PAC members during their visit to the site of the landslide at Bukit
Antarabangsa yesterday.
Objective reports can prevent
hillslope tragedies, says Najib
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk
Seri Najib Abdul Razak said tragedies like Satur-
day’s landslide in Bukit Antarabangsa could be
avoided if the technical evaluation and Environ-
mental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of any
development project are objective.
He said it is important to not allow commercial
and profit-raking considerations override safety
and environmental protection considerations.
Najib was asked to comment on the proposal
by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yester-
day that the government introduces an Act like
that implemented in Hongkong on development
on hillslopes.
He said the government will consider all sug-
gestions.
Najib was also asked about the responsibility
of the local authorities when landslides occurred,
Don’t accept only the good, PM tells Selangor govt
JAKARTA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
said yesterday the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat
government must be responsible for all aspects
of development in the state and could not accept
only the good efforts carried out by the previous
Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
“How can it be that after forming the govern-
ment, it only takes the good things? Everything
that is bad is blamed on the previous group (gov-
ernment). That is not the way to govern,”he said at
a media conference with Malaysian journalists at
theSun | FRIDAY DECEMBER 12 2008
in an “ad hoc way”.
“It seems there is a tussle between
the A-G and the PM’s office. It seems the
PM was unable to introduce a Bill totally
independent from the A-G, as all cases after
investigation still have to be referred back to
the A-G for prosecution,” he said.
DAP committee member Gobind Singh
Deo said the influence of the prime minister
“defeated the purpose” of the Judicial
Appointments Commission (JAC) Bill.
“The stand that we take is, that if you
want to emphasise independence in the
judiciary, then efforts must be taken to
detach the commission from the grips of the
PM and the executive,” he said.
“Insofar as we are concerned, the
composition of the commission should
reflect independence,” he said, adding
that it appeared as if the JAC was not truly
independent from executive control.
ZULKIFLI ERSAL/THESUN
like the one in Bukit Antarabangsa, as they usually
seemed to wash their hands off.
He said they have to discuss whether “we
can put in place something or a mechanism to
prevent development projects which are high
risk”, Bernama reported.
PAC chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid, who
led 15 members of the committee to the scene
of the landslide yesterday, said it will propose a
new set of laws to ensure housing projects on
hillslopes are carried out under strict standards
that consider the local climate.
He said that under the guidelines to be tabled
in Parliament, development of buildings on hills-
lopes with a gradient of 25 degrees will require a
soil study before the project begins.
The PAC will also look into hillside development
laws in Hongkong called the Hillside Order.
the end of his two-day working visit here.
“The government must take responsibility for
all ... whatever is bad must be corrected and the
ones that are good must be further improved.
That’s the way.”
Abdullah was asked to comment on the state-
ment by the Selangor government that it was the
previous BN state government that had approved
99 projects on hillslopes in the state, which had
become an issue after the landslide at Bukit
Antarabangsa on Saturday. – Bernama