Liew Chin Tong preventing Rafizi from revealing suspicious payments highlights importance for an Opposition to monitor

Whenever DAP undertakes fundraising campaigns in any election, are the funds collected ever fully made public?  

While DAP has old skills in the fundraising campaigns, one cannot help but question DAP regarding the opaqueness of the Rocket’s fundraising accounts. 

DAP in the past had turned to the public to raise funds but the sums collected were never made known. The rakyat simply would not know how the money was used, how much was spent nor how much the balance was.
 
Now that DAP’s fundraising skills are being reapplied in the same way, it is doubtful if DAP, now that it is in the ruling coalition will reveal its accounts or render them to remain mysterious.

According to news reports, PKR Vice President Rafizi disclosed documents showing four suspicious payments – amounting to RM318,525, RM100,000, RM300,000 and RM100,800 respectively – made on May 30 and 31 this year to settle debts in excess of RM800,000, thus having Defence Minister Mat Sabu’s the aide’s bankruptcy status adjusted to “settled.” However, from 2013 and up till 30 May this year, the senior defence official’s status was “bankrupt.”

After this issue received wide news coverage, Deputy Minister of Defence Liew Chin Tong immediately picked on Rafizi, reprimanding that “there is no need for Rafizi to blow things out of proportion (Free Malaysia Today, 16 Aug 2018)” despite Mat Sabu’s aide being under MACC investigation for graft. The newly minted Senator’s refusal to be accountable and demand that “Rafizi talks directly to the people involved in the case” is surprising considering that DAP has similarly used crowdfunding tactics in the past to raise funds, although doubt permeates as to how exactly the monies raised was spent.

Under this circumstance, the power of monitoring plays a crucial role to ensure that the interests of residents are not eroded.
 
This incident highlights the need for an Opposition to provide the check and balance necessary so that issues which are of public concern can be brought to public scrutiny to avoid the emergence of corruption.

Dato’ Ng Chok Sin
MCA Selangor State Liaison Committee Secretary

-MCA online-