Situation showed them 'public power is not for personal use', expert says
China's efforts to fight corruption have paid off, with its anti-graft systems improving and the central government dealing with corruption as strictly as possible.
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Last year, 25 officials under the management of the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, including 19 provincial-level cadres, were put under investigation, according to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission, the country's top anti-graft bodies.
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Another 30 officials under the management of the Organization Department were given disciplinary and administrative punishments for violations of Party discipline and national laws. `
The officials came from different fields, including the judiciary, education and finance. `
Yang Weidong, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, said that the number of officials investigated showed that anti-corruption work remains strict and efforts have been intensified. `
"Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee has emphasized full and strict governance over the Party," Yang said. "It has not lowered standards as time has gone on." `
According to information about corrupt officials investigated by the two disciplinary watchdogs, more cadres have voluntarily surrendered in recent years. `
Last year, four under the management of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and 62 officials under the management of organization departments of provincial-level CPC committees voluntarily turned themselves in. `
That showed the fight against corruption has achieved good results and formed an effective deterrent to corrupt officials, Yang said. `
"Officials' awareness of the 'bottom line' required by the central government has greatly improved in practice, and the anti-graft situation has clearly shown them that public power is not for personal use," he said. "Once they cross the bottom line, they shall be held accountable. `
"Once the awareness is rooted in the officials' minds, a virtuous circle will gradually be formed in which public power serves the country and the people. It will also play a positive role in preventing duty-related crimes and corruption." `
In the first nine months of last year, discipline inspection and supervision organs across the country penalized 1.47 million people, with about 52,000 of them expelled from the Party, removed from public office and transferred for criminal investigation for serious violations, the authorities said. `
In March, the CPC Central Committee issued a document on strengthening the supervision of top leaders and leading groups of all government organizations. `
The document said the importance and urgency of strengthening supervision over top leaders and leading groups should be fully recognized. Many effective practices and experiences have been formed in the supervision of leadership, but the oversight of top leaders is still a weak point, and the task of improving the intra-Party supervision system and fulfilling oversight responsibilities remains urgent. `
It said dereliction of duty by top leaders and leading group members must be investigated seriously, and ordered leading officials at all levels to properly accept supervision by Party organizations and the public and get used to working and living in an environment under supervision and constraints. ` Universities become focus `
A crackdown on graft in university management was another significant part of anti-corruption work last year, with a number of university officials punished. `
Yu Zhigang, former vice-president of China University of Political Science and Law, was accused of taking bribes of 6.9 million yuan ($1.1 million) and using public power for private purposes in July. `
Liu Chuansheng, a former Party chief of Beijing Normal University who retired in 2016, turned herself in to a central inspection group in July. She is under investigation for suspected serious violations of Party discipline and State laws. `
"The campus is where people are educated, and corruption in universities could seriously hinder the formation of professionals and affect the development of universities, and even science and technology in the country," said Ji Naili, a professor of anti-corruption studies at the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nankai University in Tianjin. `
Corruption among university leaders mainly occurs in areas like enrollment and promotions, which is known to only a few stakeholders, making it difficult to investigate, he said. `
"Strict anti-corruption campaigns now also target university management, which was usually a low-key position, reflecting that the central government's efforts to strengthen the fight against corruption has revised the traditional understanding of anti-graft work," Ji said. `
"It also shows that the system of institutional anti-corruption is becoming tighter, leaving less and less space for corrupt officials." ` - China Daily/ANN/The Star
"We urge the government to monitor the
implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Plan and empower the chief secretary to the government to be responsible for its implementation.” - Dr Muhammad Mohan
Malaysia fails in graft index
For the second consecutive year, Malaysia has dropped in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2021. The country ranked 62 out of 180 countries. ` `
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Dr Muhammad Mohan said the country fell five places from last year, and dropped three points from 51 points in 2020 to 48 points in 2021. ` `
“Our scores dropped a further three points. It is a worrying trend that we are seeing with our ranking also falling to 62,” he said during a press conference held on Zoom to announce the index yesterday. ` `
Muhammad noted that Malaysia has been seeing a downward trend for the past two years since the change of governments in 2020 and 2021. ` `
In 2020, Malaysia was ranked 57 out of 180 countries, scoring 51 out of 100 points. ` `
The index uses a scale of 0 to 100 points, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. ` `
This year, Denmark, Finland and New Zealand are top in the index with 88 points each, with Singapore being the only Asian country in the Top 10, placing fifth with a score of 85 points. ` `
Venezuela (14), Syria (13), Somalia (13) and South Sudan (11) are at the bottom of the index. ` `
Among the Asean countries, Singapore is first, followed by Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. ` `
Muhammad pointed out that Malaysia has deteriorated as institutional reforms have stalled due to the lack of political will to table the Political Financing Bill; the watering down of the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill; and the lack of progress on reforms to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). ` `
Muhammad added that several other factors include the appointment of politicians without experience to head government-linked companies (GLCs); the limited progress or public update on high profile cases such as the Wang Kelian, Sabah Water and the Littoral Combat Ship cases; the lack of progress on the amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010; the continued adverse findings and governance failures observed in the Auditor-General’s annual report; and the slow progress of the various initiatives under the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP). ` `
Muhammad said TI-M has recommended that the government narrow the scope of the Official Secrets Act, and share information transparently including the uploading of data on all public contracts while providing regular updates on the status of high profile cases.
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“We also urge the government to monitor the implementation of the NACP and empower the chief secretary to the government to be responsible for the successful implementation and achievement of the NACP. ` `
“The government must also adopt the International Standards on Integrity Pact in Government Procurement for transparency and good governance as well as improve the independence of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC),” he said. ` `
He also urged for the government to address other issues, among them, to reform MACC to make it truly independent by having the body report to the Parliament; to amend the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010; to rectify the Election Offences Act 1954 to include sanctions against corruption; to include misconduct in public office as a provision in the MACC Act to hold public officials accountable for their decisions; and to enact an Asset Declaration Law to compel all politicians and high ranking public officials to declare their assets and make it accessible to the public.
The United States reported 1.35 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total for any country in the world as the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant showed no signs of slowing.
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The previous record was 1.03 million cases on Jan. 3. A large number of cases are reported each Monday due to many states not reporting over the weekend. The seven-day average for new cases has tripled in two weeks to over 700,000 new infections a day.
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The record in new cases came the same day as the nation saw the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients also hit an all-time high, having doubled in three weeks, according to a Reuters tally.
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There were more than 136,604 people hospitalized with COVID-19, surpassing the record of 132,051 set in January last year.
While the Omicron variant is potentially less severe, health officials have warned that the sheer number of infections could strain hospital systems, some of which have already suspended elective procedures as they struggle to handle the increase in patients and staff shortages.
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The surge in cases has disrupted schools, which are struggling with absences of staff, teachers and bus drivers.
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Chicago canceled classes for a fourth day as the district and teachers failed to agree on how to deal with increased infections.
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New York City suspended service on three subway lines as a large number of workers were out sick, according to its Twitter account. Companies' plans for workers to return to office have also been derailed.
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Deaths are averaging 1,700 per day, up from about 1,400 in recent days but within levels seen earlier this winter.
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A redesigned COVID-19 vaccine that specifically targets the Omicron variant is likely needed, Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) CEO said on Monday, adding his company could have one ready to launch by March.
A PARADIGM shift occurs when the usual ways of thinking or doing things are replaced by new and different ways. This normally happens when fundamentals are progressively changed.
Developing a country takes time, starting with a holistic education that seeks to address the emotional, social and ethical needs of students, apart from academic studies and skills training. Students must reflect on their actions and how they impact the local and global community, and engage in projects that require critical thinking skills towards solving real-world problems.
But if education is centred on rote learning just to pass school examinations and plagiarism to gain academic qualifications, young adults will be unproductive, and the country will remain poor. This is evident in Malaysia as huge numbers of graduates are churned out every year but most are underemployed or remain unemployed for months.
Not in Singapore, though. It separated from Malaysia in 1965 and developed on its own to become a rich nation, thanks mainly to good governance and sound education. Although the cost of living in Singapore is high to match the high living standards, the average Singaporean salary is several times higher than in Malaysia, allowing for more disposable income and savings. Hence, there are about a million Malaysians, or former Malaysians, residing in Singapore, and another 350,000 workers and students who commuted daily from Johor in pre-pandemic times. Malaysia had also lost much of its human capital to many countries around the world over the years, initially to Britain and then to the United States and Australia and, in recent years, China.
While other non-english speaking countries have adopted or promoted English as their second language to be better connected to the world, we are doing the exact opposite. In fact, some politicians seem bent on nurturing island mentalities in cultivating their support base by sowing fear of other races, religions and languages. Those who truly love their own race, religion and language would focus on lifting their community, which would be admired universally. But such efforts require too much hard work, it seems.
Sadly, our country will not be transformed if people remain insular, if we remain, as the Malay proverb puts it, “katak di bawah tempurung” (frog under a coconut) shell).
One of the best ways for Malaysians to be exposed to the world is to be multilingual by not only learning our national language but also other important languages. Mandarin and Tamil could easily be learned in vernacular primary schools, and these students could later contribute greatly to economic and cultural ties with China and South India. Likewise for Arabic, Japanese, Korean, German, French and Spanish. In any case, learning at least three languages would expose Malaysians to a great variety of cultures and ideas.
Apart from the valuable exposure gained by communicating with people of different races, religion and cultures, it is also necessary for those at the top to come down from their ivory towers.
Recently, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong made a surprise visit to the Road Transport Department in Johor Baru and was shocked by the long queue for counter service. He rightfully described the counter service system as “ancient”. He then used Facebook to voice his unhappiness about a host of problems and the immediate actions that he had taken.
If we wish to modernise, we should not continue to be bogged down by antiquated methods and mindsets. We should continuously take small, medium and large incremental steps to move forward.
If not, we will stagnate and be left behind while other countries, such as Indonesia, race ahead. But some of our politicians seem to prefer to harp on racial, religious and language issues, and raise petty matters in Parliament hoping to gain popularity.
Perhaps a paradigm shift will only occur when a coalition wins by a two-thirds majority in the next general elections and the economy ends up in total shambles. Perhaps if everyone is forced to work together to rescue our country from total disaster, we could still rise from the ashes.
The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee presides over the sixth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee in Beijing, capital of China. Photo: Xinhua
Vigorous Chinese democracy vs aging Western one: Global Times editorial
"Whole-process people's democracy" has been officially written into the Communiqué of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. At Friday's press conference on the sixth plenum, the concept has been further clarified, which has garnered extensive attention from home and abroad.
Democracy is one of the important results of human society's development. It is destined to form different gene combinations in different social environments and manifest itself in various forms, just like that of plants and flowers.
The US and the West have always regarded themselves as property owners and missionaries of democracy, as if they are issuing democratic licenses to the world, preaching to people of other countries about how to be democratic and judging who is democratic and who is not. But they are no longer able to carry on such moves.
China has risen. We hold high the banner of people-centered socialist democracy, and develop an efficient market economy based on China's political system. We have rapidly improved livelihood and eliminated poverty, gaining remarkable and globally eye-catching economic and social achievements.
In this process, elements of democracy with Chinese characteristics have continued to develop and grow. Governments at various levels have been exploring how to make democracy truly effective in all areas. This has formed the goal-oriented democratic construction in which the people are masters of the country. From election to consultations, from policymaking to management and supervision, all have been carried out, upgraded and institutionalized under the promotion of China's fundamental political system. As a result, people's wishes and opinions can always be reported to governments at different levels rapidly. The Party's leadership has ensured that national governance always responds to the demands of the broadest masses of people and can make the most reasonable plan based on the interests of all groups in the society. This will make people the country's masters.
China has developed democracy, but avoided populist radicalism. Everyone has the right to share the fruits of national development but vicious conflicts have been prevented among different interests groups. Although people often express opinions on the internet, sometimes in a fierce manner, China's social governance has generally maintained order. There are very few disruptions caused by partial or large-scale disorder.
The US and the West still regard their democracy as a hallmark. Their political systems have been seriously aging after hundreds of years. Powerful Western interest groups seek to obtain from and exploit their systems in radical ways regardless of the damage they would cause, which has made Western-style democracy full of drawbacks such as populism, political struggles, derailed people participation, and manipulated and misguided elections.
Western-style democracy is still able to have a say in the international public opinion arena. It's because of the economic and social strength accumulated in history. Those countries are still the most developed ones, which has helped them conceal their ugliness and fool the world with their sophistries and cover-ups.
However, some Western elites are now a little bit panicked. They know the West is plagued by problematic politics and a sluggish economy. Meanwhile, they have seen the fast development of China. After the outbreak of COVID-19, China's "people first" political ideology has quickly transformed to great achievements in fighting the epidemic. They worry that if this continues, the fundamental flaws in their narratives about democracy will be exposed, and the perception that their political systems are "bad" will spread throughout the world.
The US and some Western countries in recent years have frantically increased their attacks on China's political system. Doing so is of no help to solve the decline of their own systems. The political dividends of Western-style democracy have already been seriously overdrawn. Now the shortcomings of Western-style democracy have been exposed and further fermented, which is consuming the competitiveness of those countries.
Those Western political elites want to eliminate the challenge of democratic diversity and change the competition rules in the globalization era by stifling China's development. However, China is a super-scale market and a powerful country. It's a dead end if they attempt to solve their own difficulties by changing China.
The Chinese and Western democratic systems could learn from each other and carry out sound competition. Unfortunately, some political elites in the US and West stubbornly seek to turn the two systems into antagonistic relations. Then they will have to bear the long-term consequences of their actions. China will develop faster than them in the long run. After passing a critical point -it's doomed to appear in future - the US and West's political confidence will be greatly shaken. Their unrealistic flattery of Western-style democracy will collapse.
The world is seeing active reflections and hot debates over democracy. Which kind of democracy is good is not defined by a war of words. The good democracy must effectively provide economic and social development with a steady stream of impetus and promote the well-being of the broad masses of people. Facts will be the best judge.
China is making great efforts to bring benefits to its people and contribute positively to building a community with a shared future for mankind. We are earnest explorers of a democratic system that fits our own conditions. Our efforts and success have received much attention and praises from a vast number of developing countries. We have expanded people's political vision, and contributed important experiences.
Developing countries generally face pressure from the US and the West. Due to their size, many countries are unable to withstand the pressure to explore an independent democratic paradigm. China's practice is in line with their interests, bringing the light of freedom to the world when it comes to the national choice of development path.
Democracy not 'patent' of the West; US democracy summit a 'huge irony' aiming to split world: senior CPC official
Photo: Zhao Juecheng/GT
The US' democracy summit convened next month with the attempt to "revive" Western democracy amid mounting democratic problems in their countries is a huge irony, as its purpose is simply to suppress other countries and divide the world into different camps, a senior Chinese official said on Friday.
Jiang Jinquan,director of the Policy Research Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at Friday's press conference on the sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
He said democracy is not a patent of the West, nor can it be defined by the West. Western democracy is a democracy dominated by capital, a democracy of the rich, not true democracy.
Some Western countries have shown a hollowing out of democracy,triggering dissatisfaction among their fellow people, but they are still trying to impose their democratic model on other countries. Color revolutions in recent years ago have resulted in disasters to local people, which the people of the world have become increasingly aware of, Jiang said in response to a question on comparison between China's whole-process people's democracy and Western democracy.
Jiang listed several polls as an example. According to a new survey from the Pew Research Centre, 57 percent of global respondents and 72 percent of Americans said that US democracy used to be a good example but has not been recently.
According to an NPR poll, 81 percent of US adults say the future of US democracy is under threat.
In contrast, two recent polls released by a US polling agency show that Chinese people's satisfaction with the CPC and the Chinese government is 95 percent and 98 percent, respectively.
Democracy is not for decoration, but for solving people's problems. Whether a country is democratic or not depends on whether its people are the masters of the country, whether its people have the right to vote and more importantly, whether they have the right to participate widely. It depends on what promises are made during the election process, but more importantly, it depends on how many of these promises are fulfilled after an election, Jiang said.
"Democracy is not true if the people are awakened only at the time of voting and then fall into hibernation, if they can only listen to the election slogans but have no say after the election, if they are favored only at the time of campaigning and then are left out after the election," Jiang said.
Jiang said the CPC has realized that China's political civilization and political system must be deeply rooted in the mind of Chinese society. Copying other countries' political systems will not work and may even destroy the country's future.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has adhered to the path of political development under socialism with Chinese characteristics and upheld the leadership of the Party and the position of the people as masters of the country, has resolutely resisted the erosion and influence of the Western political trend of so-called "constitutionalism", ruling party rotation, and developed a democratic road of whole-process people's democracy, Jiang said.
The Chinese people have a high degree of confidence in their political system,and the fundamental reason lies in the fact that whole-process people's democracy is highly democratic, fully fledged and deeply welcomed by the Chinese people. This is true people's democracy, Jiang said.
To break out of its paralysis, the West needs to take a hard look and address three key challenges, Rethinking Democracy, the Social Contract, and Globalization
Govt fails in bid to forfeit 1MDB-linked assets from Najib, family and others
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court today ordered the government to immediately return assets which were seized from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, their three children and several others.
Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan made the order after dismissing the government's application which sought to forfeit hundreds of items including designer handbags, vehicles and cash in various currencies said to be linked to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.
In his decision, Zaini said the prosecution had failed to prove that the properties seized were connected to unlawful activities.
He said there was no evidence to show that the properties seized from Najib, Rosmah, their children Riza Shahriz Abdul Aziz (Najib's stepson), Nor Ashman and Nooryana Najwa, were bought using money in the former prime minister's bank accounts.
The prosecution, he said, had in fact admitted that some of the seized properties were gifts.
He said the prosecution's argument that the cash and properties in question could have been gained from the monies deposited in Najib's bank accounts was based on presumption.
"The prosecution merely listed down the properties seized and their value, and in turn concluded that these respondents do not have the means to such a huge amount of cash or to purchase these properties based on their income.
"They had surmised that the cash and properties concerned could have only been gained from the monies deposited in the first respondent's (Najib) accounts.
"It is apparent that the applicant had only come to this conclusion based on presumption," he said.
The judge added that there was lack of evidence to prove that there was a direct link between the monies that were alleged to have been illegally gained to the cash found and the properties bought.
He said there was simply no nexus proven in the case.
He also rejected the government's bid to forfeit the monies kept in three Hong Leong bank accounts and the RM15 million bungalow in Penang belonging to Goh Gaik Ewe, the mother of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho saying that the prosecution had failed to prove that the bank accounts were related to or had been used for the commission of unlawful activities.
He said the relationship between Goh and any of the characters or entities in the 1MDB affairs was also conspicuously missing.
"The applicant did not offer any evidence to show how the monies deposited into these bank accounts were linked to any illegal transactions or that they were proceeds of unlawful activities.
"As for the bungalow, there was simply no averment whatsoever in any of the applicant's affidavits pertaining to it," he said.
The others who get to keep their monies following the government's failure in its bid to forfeit the assets were company Senijauhar Sdn Bhd, Aiman Ruslan, former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng and his wife Lim Hwee Bin.
The court however, allowed the government's bid to forfeit the assets from the respondents that did not contest the application namely Mohd Kyizzad Mesran, Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia, Yayasan Semesta, Yayasan Mustika Kasih and Rembulan Kembara Sdn Bhd and those who have absconded who were former 1MDB officers Kee Kok Thiam, Tan Vern Tact and Terence Geh Choh Hun.
Deputy public prosecutor Harris Ong Mohd Jeffrey Ong informed the court that the prosecution will be filing an appeal against the decision and asked for a stay of the order to return money to the respondents.
However, Zaini said the court will not make any order for a stay.
"If the forfeiture application is denied, it is a natural progression that the prosecution should return it (properties) back (to the respondents)," the judge said.
On May 8, 2019, the Attorney General's Chambers filed a notice of motion to forfeit hundreds of items, allegedly linked to 1MDB scandal, including handbags of various brands and 27 vehicles seized from Najib, Rosmah, their three children, as well as 13 individuals and companies.
In addition, money amounting to more than RM18 million in several bank accounts at Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, Al-Rajhi Bank Bhd, Malayan Banking Bhd, CIMB Bank Bhd, RHB Bank Bhd, Public Bank Bhd, AmBank Bhd and Hong Leong Bank Bhd, that was frozen between Aug 16, 2018 and March 11, 2019.
Among the items mentioned in the forfeiture notice are handbags, shoes and watches of various brands, as well as cash in various currencies that were seized by the police on May 17, 2018 and June 11, 2018, as well as 27 Nissan vehicles that were seized on Aug 2, 2018 and a piece of land in Tanjung Bungah, Penang.
