Malaysia-China MoUs worth billions must be made public to avoid past mistakes, says C4
SHAH ALAM - The Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) is urging the government to disclose the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) made with Chinese corporations worth RM170 billion during Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's recent visit to the republic.
This comes after Titiwangsa MP Datuk Seri Johari Ghani in the Dewan Rakyat requested the Investment Trade and Industry ministry (Miti) and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) to explain the screening process after his observation that some of the companies were without a proper track record.
C4's acting CEO Pushpan Murugiah said unity government's lack of transparency on the trade agreements is far from ideal.
He said appropriate information should be made public to regain public's trust and to ensure there were no instances of illegal elements, such as favouritism, cronyism or nepotism.
"It is insufficient for the government to merely state that these deals shall be ‘monitored’ and ‘evaluated’ without comprehensive information on the specific individuals and bodies that shall be tasked with these evaluations and the companies that are involved.
"C4 Centre has great concerns that some of these companies do not have a good track record," he told Sinar Daily.
Due to that, it was incumbent upon the government to disclose a full list of all the companies involved as well as an explanation if any of them were unfit for high value investment projects.
"The Anwar administration has espoused core principles of transparency and accountability ever since it came to power and this is a key instance where the government must walk the talk", he commented.
Pushpan also viewed transparency as a critical component in ensuring that earlier incidents of misappropriation of funds are not repeated as seen in previous administration.
"Allowing for public scrutiny will assure Malaysians that these investment deals are being made in the best interests of the nation."
Economist of Universiti Utara Malaysia Dr Kuperan Viswanathan also agreed with Pushpan’s view, claiming that transparency is required as it involves 19 MoUs worth billions.
"The government should not drag its feet when it comes to investments from foreign countries.
"However, the public has the right to be informed about the specifics of the companies involved and their past performances to ensure the success of the deals in question," Kuperan said.
Johari had also asked how Miti will ensure that the RM170 billion investment will benefit Malaysians across the board.
Meanwhile, deputy investment trade and industry minister Liew Chin Tong in his reply to Johari had said the companies had gone through a stringent screening process with Mida also conducting the necessary background checks.
