Wan Azizah on ACA being Independent

22 April 2008
Proposal without amendment is meaningless

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KeADILan) regards proposal by Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi for Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) to become an independent body responsible for Parliament and not under the Prime Minister Department should have been carried out four years ago when he received the people’s mandate to fight corruption.

Regrettably this announcement is late since the campaign against corruption was launched by the PM himself four years ago, and it is meaningless without amendment to the Anti Corruption Agency Act.

Considering that the implementation of this proposal would involve amendment of the act, we are waiting for the PM to table the draft law to amend the act in the next session of parliament.

Other good proposals such as additional staffs to strengthen the ACA’s capacity to fight corruption and to create a whitsleblower act should be included in the draft law and not merely be a proposal.

However, the statement by the PM can be regarded as the success by the opposition parties and civil society which have always been urging for an independence ACA which should function freely especially in respect of cases involving abuses and corrupt practices among administrators and government leaders.

Equally important is the mass media should be freed from government control because without a free media, the agenda to fight coprrytion can not succeed only on the basis of an independent ACA.

Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail
Member of Parliament, Permatang Pauh
President, Parti Keadilan Rakyat