We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office.
– Aesop, Greek slave and storyteller
To be honest, I was quite astonished by the lingering spotlight on the RM50,000 wooden jetty project at Kampung Mutap in Miri.
The controversy has hogged the limelight in both the local and national media in recent days, and has not abated as I write this.
I was particularly intrigued by the interest of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in the case. It was ‘refreshing’, to say the least, as the attention was unexpected.
Wow! Now, the MACC is taking pains to probe suspected corrupt deals involving projects worth as little as RM50,000. Good job, MACC. But I would have thought that the agency should be going after the big fishes and the sharks and not waste time on ikan bilis.
One thing is clear. A controversy will quickly arouse the interest of the anti-graft outfit. MACC is also known to be particularly active and efficient in cases involving the non-elite and the common folk. It is extremely quiet on cases connected to the elite, unless they involve enemies of those in power.
I would like MACC to take my criticism with a pinch of salt. I am an anti-graft crusader and if the MACC has done well, their officers will also receive my thumbs-up. For now, learn to swallow your pride.
On April 12, MACC disclosed that it has carried out checks into the jetty project but did not find any element of corruption.
Four days later, the agency said that the probe has not ended yet. So which is which? Why is it so difficult to investigate a case involving only 50k? Is the MACC so inefficient and incompetent?
I have also taken note of the Sarawak Pakatan Harapan statement on the issue. While some pertinent points were raised by the opposition coalition, I would still conclude that it was a “petty action” due to the paltry sum involved.
No, I do not expect politicians to see what and how I, as a lay person, view the case. Politicians always have their objectives in taking up cases and their interest to protect. I do not.
Surely, those shouting at the top of their lungs would argue that every government-funded projects, irrespective of the costs, must be above board. Surely, that is the line they would take to bolster their argument. I find that hypocritical.
In other words, a RM100 worth of stationery supply, for example, must also be thoroughly screened to ensure the deal is clean. In a perfect world, that would be ideal but the world today is far from perfect.
Last Thursday, I shared my views on the jetty issue with my groups across the social media: “On the controversy surrounding the RM50k jetty, this is how I view it. If the contractor is a local Class E dude or a rural sub-contractor, I will allow him to make say, even half (i.e. RM25k). I will be happy that he managed to make that little sum to feed his family, probably after a long lockdown without jobs.
“I doubt I will raise a hue-and-cry, rightly or wrongly. I’m not bothered if a small-time contractor is able to earn a measly 25k. (That is only an assumption.)
“I am more concerned about a RM500 million project with RM250 million being siphoned off.
“That is what we should all worry about.
“So, on certain issues, let us not join the bandwagon blindly. We have to be more discerning. Do not take what the politicians, on either sides, are saying at face value. We have to assess the situation and form our own opinion”, I added.
I was very glad to have received this feedback from a friend about the belian usage in the jetty project. He wrote:
“I’m a belian structures contractor. Belian material alone is already RM18k. RM36k would be a fair price if it’s done on dry land and in the urban areas. RM50k is reasonable. Contractor can possibly make RM5k to 10k. If a contractor is not experienced, he will lose money.
“I have looked at the belian timber specified. 75mm x 200mm and 25mm x 200mm are not the right sizes to be used. Over specs. One tonne is 1.416m3. One tonne of timber should be about RM8k to 9.5k.”
I thank my friend for his response. I will not name him as I did not obtain his permission to share this.
So, according to him, if the jetty is all belian, the contractor would have made only RM5k to RM10k.
But as we have heard, the allegation was that it was not all belian but hardwood was used as well.
True or not, I would not go down the allegation route. There is no end to it as I’m aware, its politics and the usual accusation of cutting corners, abuse of funds and cronyism.
To me, it’s just too petty – a RM50k minor rural project – to quarrel about.
Let’s cut the petty stuff and talk about bigger issues, shall we? Let’s go after the sharks and the whales. That will be more worth your time and mine.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune. Feedback can reach the writer at sirsiah@gmail.com
