Sabah Water Department’s MACC seizures expose the tentacles of Corrupt Malaysia

Former Sabah Chief Minister Yong Teck Lee: "... it takes more than a departmental director and his deputy to process, approve and implement RM3.3bil in development funds. It takes more. State and federal ministries, the Economic Planning Unit, Audit Department, among others, have some answering to do."
Sabah Water Department’s MACC seizures expose the tentacles of Corrupt Malaysia

The multi-millions of Ringgit in cash, bank accounts and assets seized by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) shocking in more ways than one.

It is clearly the tip-of-the iceberg, so to speak, of the extent of corruption in corrupt Malaysia.

That only two officers in a Sabah Water Department (SWD) can steal so much from federal government allocations for water supply projects in the state speaks volumes.

That two peons from SWD can voluntarily surrender RM1 million in cash to the MACC in the midst of a probe is equally telling.

It sure looks like there is no tomorrow in stealing government funds for those who hold high public office.

Is it now a wonder why 1Malaysia Development Malaysia Berhad (1MDB) Prime Minister Najib Razak’s Umno-led Barisan Nasional federal government is struggling to make ends meet or is now facing cash flow problems in operating costs for government entities and departments?

Is it all so difficult to understand why the Ringgit is today US$1 to RM4.20+ or Sing$1 to RM3+?

Malaysia’s economy is struggling amid mounting federal debts that may now have breached the RM1 trillion mark and daily 1MDB-linked alleged damning money-laundering international media reports that are worrying foreign investors.

Read these two so-called “Sabah Watergate” reports:

"SABAH WATERGATE – MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: ‘THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IS UNBELIEVABLE’
Politics | October 15, 2016 by | 0 Comments


THE amount involved in Sabah’s watergate scandal is unbelievable.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) seized RM114mil worth of assets –RM53.7mil in cold cash stashed in houses and offices – from two senior Sabah Water Department officials on Oct 4.


The duo were investigated for alleged abuse of power and money laundering linked to contracts for RM3.3bil federal-funded projects channelled to the department since 2010. Two others – a Datuk businessman who is a brother of one of the officials and an accountant – were also arrested.

Six days later, MACC traced RM30mil stashed in foreign banks and another RM30mil in 127 land titles for housing, agriculture and commercial.
That’s not all.

MACC also seized nine vehicles worth RM2.7mil, an assortment of jewellery worth RM3.64mil and designer handbags worth RM500,000.

The following Tuesday (Oct 11), three Sabah Water Department employees “voluntarily” surrendered about RM1mil allegedly taken in the process of approving water projects under the RM3.3bil federal allocations.

When you go out of the state capital, you’ll find Sabahans depending on rivers, streams, ponds, wells or rain for their daily needs.

What do we tell M. R., a 34-year-old Rungus housewife from Kampung Bongkok in Pitas, about the Sabah Watergate?

Since she was born, she has relied on wells, rivers or ponds in the jungle to bathe, wash clothes and dishes, and on rainwater for drinking and cooking. Daily, she has to walk a few kilometres to carry 10 litres of water back to her house.

Her water woes worsen when there is no rain for weeks.

“The villagers will be suffering, especially getting water for drinking and cooking,” she said.

“What’s your comment on the Sabah watergate?” I asked.

“That’s what is heartbreaking. We have been asking for piped water for our village. But the excuse they give to us is the source of treated water in Pitas town is about 28km from our village,” she said.


“If the funds meant for water projects were used properly, we would have clean water supply for which we have waited for many decades.”

What do we tell M. J., a 37-year-old Bisayah civil servant from Kampung Sukai in Beaufort about the Sabah watergate?

There is a water pipe that runs through M. J.’s village. However, no water flows in the pipes and yet the villagers are billed for it.

“The pipes were installed in 2010. We had water for about one year and then it went dry, maybe because of leakage,” he said.

Now many villagers rely on the blue water tank they got during elections.

“When there is no rain, some of the villagers have to buy water from a town about 30km away for drinking and cooking,” he said.

“For other uses, the villagers get murky water from wells and a polluted river along a mangrove swamp.”

“What’s your comment on the Sabah watergate?” I asked.

“As a true Sabah-born I’m extremely disappointed. The people’s first call is not delivered because of greed. If only a portion of the money were distributed, the villagers would not be thirsty for the promises made by politicians.”

What do we tell N.V. H., a 49-year-old Chinese businessman from a suburb in Tawau town, about the Sabah watergate?

Once a week, there is a water cut lasting three to 12 hours in his residential area. During the previous El Nino season, there were 12-hour water cuts on alternative days for two months.

With the constant water cuts in Tawau, he had to install two 400-gallon stainless steel water tanks and pneumatic water pumps at his home. He also had to install two 100-gallon water tanks and automatic on-off water pumps at the ground floor of his shop and another 400-gallon water tank and pneumatic water pump at the first floor. The total cost is RM16,000.

N.V.H.’s household has never experienced water woes, as supplies from water tanks last for five days.

“What’s your comment on the Sabah watergate?” I asked.

“Of course I’m angry when I come across all these water scandals. But we can’t do anything about it,” he said.

What do we tell M. S., a 47-year-old Bajau Sama managing consultant from Kota Belud, about the Sabah watergate?

The shortage of clean water in his district is unexplainable, he said.

“What’s your comment on the Sabah watergate?” I asked.

“There is an abundant water source from Mount Kinabalu, flowing through rivers across Kota Belud. The rivers are full of water yet it has failed to be converted into clean water,” he said.

The water supply covers about 30% of the villages in the district and the rest depend on untreated gravity water.

“Sad to say that some villages have a piping system but no water. The water department implements piping projects in every election. Yet the clean water shortage is here to stay,” he said.

I pray that the MACC’s investigation reaches to the top. And that those who are responsible will pay for their greed.
– ANN/Malaysia Chronicle”

"Salleh: Public fully behind MACC on Sabah corruption scandal

Bernama

October 15, 2016

Sabah Umno leader urges all parties not to speculate about the case because it would only have adverse effects on the ongoing investigations by the MACC.


KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno deputy chairman Salleh Said Keruak said Malaysians, especially Sabahans, fully supported the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s action to expose the corruption and abuse of power scandal involving infrastructure projects worth RM3.3 billion in the state.

Congratulating the MACC for its fine work, Salleh said that he hoped that all parties would provide full support to the commission to conduct its investigations without any interference.

“MACC is an independent body. So of course they (MACC) will handle the case professionally and we should respect it,” he told reporters today.

Salleh also urged all parties not to speculate about the case because it would only have adverse effects on the ongoing investigations by the MACC.

The MACC has arrested five people, including a director and a deputy director of a Sabah government department to assist in the investigations.

MACC also seized cash and assets amounting in value to RM114.5 million, RM3.64 million in jewellery and 127 land grants with an estimated value of RM30 million. The case is the biggest in MACC’s history.

Salleh, who is communications and multimedia minister, was here to launch the ‘Jambori di Udara Sedunia’ and ‘Jambori di Internet’ programmes, here today.

He said the aim of the jamboree was to expose the Scout movement on the importance and usage of radio communication technologies and the Internet.
“Via this programme, participants will call up their Scout friends either in or out of the country through radiotelephony or Internet. “Through such an initiative, it opens up new a field for the participants to explore, especially in the communication aspects through the Internet,” he said."