FAC News - Thursday, August 8, 2002 8:28 AM

Corruption is no crime, exposing it is: Lim

“The harsh two-year jail sentence imposed on Keadilan Youth Leader, Ezam Mohd Nor, by the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court today after being found guilty of committing an offence under the Officials Secrets Act (OSA) is powerful testimony that, in Malaysia, corruption is no crime while exposing corruption is the heinous crime,” said Lim Kit Siang, Chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), yesterday.

“The prosecution and conviction of Ezam under the Official Secrets Act are an outrage as they offend the most elementary notions of what is right and wrong, decency, morality and the rule of law.”

“If Ezam is to be convicted and jailed for violating the Official Secrets Act for exposing these two secret documents of the corruption investigations of International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz and former Malacca chief minister Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, then Rafidah and Rahim should be arrested and charged for corruption since Ezam's conviction has proven the genuineness of the contents of the two secret documents,” argued Lim.

“I met Ezam, his wife Bahirah Tajul Aris, their three small children and his parents at the PJ  Sessions Court after the pronouncement of conviction and sentence, before Ezam was taken to Kajang Prison to start his two-year jail sentence.”

“I told Ezam that life in Kajang Prison would be very different from the Kamunting Detention Centre - and that he is probably the first Internal Security Act detainee to be sent to prison while still serving the ISA detention order - raising the question as to whether the ISA detention order is quashed or merely suspended.”

“Ezam was very brave and said he had expected the harsh sentence, and that was why he had already packed his things in the Kamunting Detention Centre where he would not be returning for at least 18 months pending the outcome of his appeal.”

“It is a shame and an indictment of the system of governance and justice in Malaysia every day Ezam languishes in jail for exposing the two secret documents if no action is taken on the contents of the secret documents.”

“Now that the contents of the two secret documents have become public as a result of the trial, the government cannot hide behind the Official Secrets Act to give a full accounting on the corruption investigations into Rafidah and Rahim.”

“With Ezam's conviction establishing the genuineness of the two secret documents, will Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) now direct the ACA to re-open investigations into Rafidah and Rahim as well as a broader investigation as to why both had not been arrested and prosecuted despite the decision and conclusion of the Attorney-General's Office that there was prima facie case to prosecute both for corruption?”