The former law minister said this must be clearly stated in the general election manifesto of the opposition coalition.
Such a stand, he said in his latest blog post, would be the only really meaningful promise to Malaysian voters, not the usual stuff about more prosperity, more reforms, more money for Islam and such.
“To me there is only one meaningful manifesto: how to deal with kleptocracy, and what we as a country must do to prevent such recurrence.”
Zaid, now a DAP member, urged for the PH manifesto to be very detailed about the kind of government and the type of leaders Malaysia would have if it took power in the 14th general election.
“The Pakatan manifesto must be able to show that Pakatan leaders have different DNA from that of BN, and they are willing to make promises BN leaders will never be able to do. In other words, they must be willing to deal effectively with kleptocracy. For this, they must tell the people what they will do to ensure never again will Malaysia be a haven for its leaders to enrich themselves.”
Zaid said the BN, for instance, would never promise the people that all government contracts, especially involving government-linked companies, would only be done by open tender. Pakatan must strive to do this.
“We will never be able to deal with corrupt leaders and civil servants unless something drastic is done in this regard. A Public Sector Act must be passed wherein not only will the government practice accountability and transparency, but the current rules and applicable General Orders are revisited to ensure effective supervision and to provide for severe penalties for those in breach.”
He suggested that another promise should be to make the office of the public prosecutor separate from that of the attorney-general as it would show people that, “at last, the criminal law of our country will be applied fairly, both for the kleptocrats and ordinary people, and for government leaders and leaders of the opposition”.
He added: “Such a separation will bring an end to the embarrassing scenario that has made our public prosecutor a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.”
Zaid wants PH to also promise that a law ministry will be created as a separate ministry, instead of being part of the Prime Minister’s Department. This, he added, would “tell Malaysians that justice is a priority for the new government and that it will undertake whatever reform is necessary for the good of the country – and not merely to protect the prime minister”.
Another promise in the election manifesto should be that the Official Secrets Act in its current form would be repealed.
“If this act is repealed our ministers, top civil servants and police chiefs in future will no longer be so filthy rich to steal as they like. It will tell the people that those in the government will not be able to classify documents as official secrets at whim. With this act of revocation, those who have stolen government property will find themselves facing the attention of the world.”
Zaid also wants PH to promise that parliament will have the final say in the appointments of top officers such as the chief secretary to the government, the inspector general of police, the attorney-general, the head of the Malaysian Anti-corruption Commission, and the top judges.
“ Pakatan must make this promise a priority; and go to the people on this promise. The people will support the change because they are all very tired of the present system. The Pakatan manifesto must be clear and incisive on how to set the rotten system right.”
The lawyer said PH must remain steadfast in wanting to remove all the excesses of the present government.
“The promise of amnesty for lower grade officers is generous but the message Pakatan must give is that it will prosecute with utmost vigour all those in the upper echelons of power who have been complicit, directly or indirectly, in supporting criminal actions and/or abuse of power by the leaders. The people expect no one to be spared. These promises must be printed in bold letters and distributed to all parts of the country.
“This government favours the rich and the elite, and we must change this once for all. Those who suck the cream of this country are left untouched whilst ordinary people (even for minor offences) are given harsh sentences, ostensibly as a deterrent. It’s a farce.
“It’s about time we promise no one will be sent to jail for stealing food or toys (valued less than RM1,000) for their children. Fines should be enough. This will tell the people that the new government empathises with the poor. It shows that the new government understands the problems of the poor, and so it won’t be surprising if such a government also builds shelter and provides adequate subsidies for food.”
He also made other suggestions, including providing adequate free drugs for cancer patients, providing a wider social safety net, protecting the land rights of the Orang Asli, and protecting green lungs such as the park in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur.
He concluded with a call to present a different manifesto, one that resonated with the people “who are dying for a cleaner government, and a caring one”.
“Pakatan must be able to present an action plan to deal with kleptocracy and the kleptocrats, otherwise, the battle cry of 1MDB is hollow and meaningless. As a country, we have lost billions of ringgit to the kleptocrats, and now is the time we promise the people that it will never happen again; and urge them to give full support to reform the institutions of government of this country.”