Friday 29 Mar 2024
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WITH half-a-billion ringgit allocated for flood relief and rehabilitation, there is an evident risk that unscrupulous people may try to get their hands on the money.

To ensure that the funds are allocated transparently and to deserving cases, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has set up the Flood Fund Management Integrity Committee which is headed by MACC deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Datuk Mustafar Ali.

“The committee also includes the National Security Council and National Audit Department. We work together to identify areas of fraudulent claims, false documentation and so on,” Mustafar told The Edge Financial Daily. Less than a month into the committee being set up, there were already two cases of alleged corruption which involved false claims and documentation fraud, one in Kelantan and the other in Pahang.

“So you see, there surely will be those trying to take advantage and go around the system,” he said.

Mustafar gave a few examples on how some people might try to take advantage of the system.

“For instance, the rural community normally have a lot of land around their homes. Sometimes, they build a house for their children in their own backyard. But what they should not do is to make a claim that they built a house for their kids when in reality, the children were living away from their parents. “Some might take advantage of the situation in this manner.  For example, there could be three families living together under one roof, but instead of requesting for a single house for the three of them to share, they appeal for one house each.

“We also don’t want anyone making claims for their children who work elsewhere and were not affected. However, there are parents who request aid on behalf of their kids,” he said. Anyone found guilty of falsifying their documents can be charged under Section 18 of the MACC Act or Section 420 of the Penal Code. Guilty parties can be fined up to RM10,000 or five times the amount of bribery or fraud, and imprisoned for a maximum of 20 years.

Besides watching the general public, Mustafar also made it very clear that the MACC will also be keeping a close eye on officials, including village heads as well as building contractors.

To date, the committee has received 80 calls, including the two complaints mentioned earlier. Most of the calls were inquiries on how they can receive the funds.

“We’ve also received complaints and phone calls from some of the victims who did not receive any aid and were unhappy with the government agencies concerned. When we receive this kind of complaints, we channel it to the relevant agency or department.

“Inter-department communication is important to ensure everything runs smoothly,” said Mustafar.

 

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on March 2, 2015.

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