Who’s keeping an eye on Covid-19 funds?

 

We know that the government allocated RM5 billion ringgit for the national immunisation programme against Covid-19.

Then, on April 12, Prime Minister Muhyddin Yassin said: “So much money has been spent last year and this year. Why? For Covid-19. This includes various stimulus packages totalling RM340 billion and (a) RM322 billion allocation for the national budget.”

That’s a lot of money.

Muhyiddin’s government is also drawing from other places, including the National Trust Fund, in its fight to stop the spread of the disease.

Is anyone keeping tabs on how the billions of ringgit are being spent?

What sort of accountability measures are in place?

Is there any way to know if there is any abuse or misuse of funds in the procurement of vaccines and equipment, in the disbursement of aid to businesses and individuals, and in the distribution of food baskets?

I’m particularly concerned because the government has placed the nation under a state of emergency. It has virtually carte blanche powers. Even the courts cannot review the decisions made by the prime minister and his Cabinet.

In addition, Parliament remains suspended, despite the fact that all MPs have been vaccinated against the disease. Before the latest nationwide movement control order (MCO) started on May 25, many MPs and NGOs had chided the government for opening up almost every sector except Parliament.

Now, of course, with Covid-19 cases crossing the 7,000-mark two days consecutively, the opposition and others better forget about Parliament reconvening anytime soon.

The government has been pouring billions since the first MCO in March 2020 in taxpayer money to control the spread of the disease, but, as social media users point out, to little effect. The number of cases has in fact gone up since the emergency was declared and billions were allocated to fight the pandemic.

Did the money under the various stimulus packages reach the targeted groups?

Who is checking on how ministers and civil servants entrusted with implementing measures related to Covid-19 are using the funds? Were any contracts for vaccines, medical equipment or services during the pandemic given to relatives or friends of ministers or senior government officials?

I hope the auditor-general is still empowered, despite the state of emergency, to call up the accounts for inspection, and staff for explanations. But I really don’t know.

At the rate things are going, we may only know details of how the funds were and are being spent after the next general election.

Let’s also hope the Parliamentary Accounts Committee – which has been told it cannot function for now – will be able to scrutinise the accounts pertaining to Covid-19 allocations and expenditure when Parliament reconvenes.

Then again, given the fact that the emergency accords the government and its agents immunity from actions “done in good faith,” what action can the PAC or police or Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) take if indeed there are instances of graft or misuse during this period?

Only the legal eagles can tell us.

But I’m sure the term “good faith” will be on trial too, if at all any case goes to court.

If you remember, on Jan 14 the government gazetted the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance 2021. This is what Section 10 of the Ordinance says: “No action, suit, prosecution or any other proceeding shall lie or be brought, instituted or maintained in any court against the government, any public officer or any person appointed under subsection 6(1) of the Ordinance, in respect of any act, neglect or default done or omitted by it or him in good faith, in carrying out the provision of this Ordinance.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying or implying that we cannot trust the government or its officials.

I’m concerned because human nature is such that not everyone is strong enough to overcome temptation, especially if they feel they can get away with it.

Even before the pandemic and the declaration of an emergency, Malaysia has had a bad record where corruption is concerned. One of the world’s best known corruption trials – involving former prime minister Najib Razak and 1MDB – is proceeding right here in our nation.

As I said earlier, not everyone who handles large sums of money or who has the power to allocate resources or make million ringgit purchases can overcome the temptation to dip his hand in the till.

I’m concerned because of what I see happening in some other nations.

Let me give you some examples:

Several civil servants in Indonesia were recently charged in court with partying at karaoke joints using funds meant for Covid-19 relief efforts.

Last December, one of the officials involved in this case was accused, along with Indonesia’s social affairs minister Juliari Batubara and another official, of accepting US$1.2 million in kickbacks from companies appointed to supply food packages to those affected by the pandemic.

Last month, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera fired his labour minister Ken Kandodo after the arrest of 14 officials for misusing Covid-19 funds.

An audit found that 6.2 billion Malawian kwacha (RM32.5 million) intended to battle the pandemic had vanished or been misused. Chakwera was reported as saying that Kandodo himself had used 613,000 kwacha worth of Covid-19 funds on a foreign trip. Kandodo later repaid the money.

The audit was carried out after public outcry over allegations of misuse of Covid-19 funds.

Earlier this month, a report authored by Ghana’s Community Development Alliance (CDA-Ghana) and the Commonwealth Foundation said the Ghanaian government had mismanaged over US$2 billion in Covid-19 funds.

This week, Cameroon government auditors accused several ministries and state bodies of misappropriating and mismanaging funds from its US$338 million national Covid-19 response plan.

Four senior officials in Uganda were arrested on suspicion of inflating prices of Covid-19 relief food, costing the government at least US$528,000.

In South Africa, authorities are investigating allegations that US$900 million in Covid-19 funds has been misused while in Kenya there are allegations of graft in the procurement and supply of Covid-19 equipment worth US$71.96 million.

Even at the city level, there is scope for corruption as this bit of news from South Africa shows: A Cape Town councillor and the chairman of the South African Religious Civic Organisation are facing charges of siphoning relief funds from the city of Cape Town and sending it to a church with links to city officials.

Now you know why I am worried.

As it is, Malaysia’s debts are rising. We cannot afford any leakages or misuse of money meant to stop the spread of the disease and help people survive.

Would it be too late to suggest that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or Putrajaya set up a special committee or task force to keep an eye on all money relating to the battle against Covid-19?

It can be headed by the auditor-general or a retired judge, with the MACC head, the attorney-general and the inspector-general of police among its members. Several prominent personalities with proven integrity should also sit on it, as should the parliamentary opposition leader. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

✍ Credit given to the original owner of this post : ☕ Malaysians Must Know the TRUTH

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