MCAC Bill & JAC Bill - Form over substance again?

That seems to be the opinion of YB Jeff Ooi:

Rush it bills
Systemic reforms in Malaysia?

The sleeping beauty seldom makes his appearance to occupy the Prime Minister's seat in the Parliament these days. However, he appeared today to table two bills for first reading at the Dewan Rakyat at 11.45am, namely the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission Bill and Judicial Appointment Commission Bill.

Subsequently, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abd Aziz tabled four other bills, also for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat. The bills are Pensions (Amendment Bill), Statutory and Local Authorities Pensions (Amendment) Bill, Pensions Adjustment (Amendment) Bill and Judges' Remuneration (Amendment) Bill.

The outgoing Umno president, who usurps the role of the country's current Prime Minister, told the House that the second and third reading of both the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission Bill and Judicial Appointment Commission Bill would be held in this Parliament session which would end on Dec 18, and the Bill given to us Members of Parliament says the Act will come into operation on January 1, 2009. Let's keep our fingers crossed that they won't be rushed through like the DNA Bill.

Will the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission Bill be tailored after Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) as has been touted by the spin-doctors embedded within the mainstream press, and become just as effective as the Hong Kong model? Let's take a look at the principal objects of the Act:
( a ) To promote the integrity and accountability of public and private sector administration by constituting an independent and accountable anti-corruption body; and
( b ) to educate public authorities, public officials and members of the public about corruption and its detrimental effects of public and private sector administration and on the community.

To me, what is glaringly missing in the principal objects of the Act are the words 'ERADICATION OF CORRUPTION'.

That this Act is formulated just to PROMOTE integrity and accountability, and to EDUCATE the potential corrupts is simply pathetic. Where are the snarling fangs to bite the corrupts?

Corruption in Umno politics and all other levels of the system had been so endemic and paralysing that is there any idiots out there who still need further education about the ills of the Big C?

It was reported that some Umno leaders are not too keen on drastic reforms, so the general public can be excused if they are not expecting too much out of it. No harm in giving Pak Lah a sense of 'I feel good' before he hands over to his successor. Most people would be interested to know how the respective MPs would vote for the two Bills. I get the feeling that some other opposition leaders would question, like Jeff, that it was more show than substance.