By Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, January 19th, 1994:
Is Dr.Mahathir sending out a message in his reaction to the Kota Kinabalu High Court decision on Sabah Chief Minister , Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitigan?
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed yesterday said that the Kota Kinabalu High Court decision on the Sabah Chief Minister , Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kikingan was probably a message meant to be conveyed to the Federal Government.
He Said ”we have to study it inorder to understand what is the message being conveyed.”
Is Dr. Mahathir sending out a message in his reaction to the Kota Konabalu High Court judgemnet finding Pairin guilty of corruption in using his position as Chief Minister to approve a contract for a shop-house project in Tambunan worth RM1,483,341.60 to Rimkaya Sdn Bhd and imposing a fine of forced him to vacate his post as Chief Minister?
Apart from these two “messages” , concerned Malaysians also want to send the following messages to the Prime Minister :
Firstly , there must be no selective use if corruption laws to initiate prosecutions only against political leaders holding high office who are not in the ‘good books ‘ of the Federal Government ; and
Secondly , corruption laws must be enforced without ‘ fear or favour ‘ against all, regarding of political connections or status ; and
Thirdly , to prevent such selective and discriminatory use and prosecution of corruption laws , the Anti-Corruption Agency must be taken out of the Prime Minister ‘s Department to become a fully- independent Anti – Corruption Comission answerable only to Parliament and which does not have to get any green light from the higher- ups to arrest and prosecute any political leader holding high office.
I hope that Dr . Mahathir would appoint the Deputy Prime Minister , Datuk seri Anwar Ibrahim , to head a high-level All-Party Commission to upgrade the status of the anti – corruption war , where corruption laws are not used on the one hand to protect one’s allies and supporters while on the other hand used as a weapon against political opponents.