By JAMES LEONG
SANDAKAN: Six Warisan State elected representatives (ADUNs) from Sandakan view with grave seriousness the arrest of another civil servant suspected of involvement in corrupt activities related to the awarding of the Rumah Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Housing Programme.
The elected representatives Calvin Chong (Elopura), Lisa Alban (Sungai Sibuga), Alias Hj. Sani (Sekong), Arunanarsin Taib (Gum-Gum), Alex Wong (Karamunting), and Alex Thien (Tanjong Papat) issued a joint statement after Sabah MACC on Tuesday disclosed the latest arrest.
“The misuse of a project intended to assist those in need for personal gain is deeply disheartening and completely unacceptable.
“As elected representatives from Warisan, we assert that any form of corruption, abuse of power, and misappropriation of public funds constitutes a betrayal of the public trust,” the group said in a joint statement yesterday.
The statement added that housing programmes like the Rumah Mesra SMJ project are established to help low-income individuals obtain safe and dignified shelter, not to become an avenue for personal gain, cronyism, or power manipulation.
The group urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct a firm, transparent, and comprehensive investigation without any compromise, saying the investigation must not be limited solely to the detained individual, but should encompass the entire chain of process, from project approval, contractor selection, and financial flows, to the possibility of other parties being involved directly or indirectly, adding that if there are elements of a network or system that enabled this misuse, it must be uncovered completely.
“At the same time, we emphasise that the State Government cannot simply wait for the investigation results alone. The State Government must take proactive responsibility to closely monitor the development of this case and ensure corrective measures are implemented immediately.
“This includes tightening the project awarding monitoring system, strengthening internal control mechanisms, enhancing transparency in the approval process, and ensuring periodic audits are carried out on all public housing assistance programmes.
“We also demand that the investigation results and any subsequent actions be publicly disclosed to the citizens. Transparency is key to restoring public trust in the administrative system.
“The people have the right to know how public funds are managed and what steps are being taken to ensure such incidents do not recur,” the elected representatives added.
They added that this incident should serve as a serious reminder to all parties that integrity in public service is not an option, but an obligation, asserting that no one should be protected if proven guilty, regardless of their position or status.
“We will continue to closely monitor the progress of this case and will push for firm action to be taken, up to the prosecution stage, if strong evidence is found.
“The fight against corruption must be carried out consistently, principled, and without compromise to ensure justice is upheld, integrity is preserved, and the interests of the people are always prioritised,” the elected representatives concluded.
