TATAKELOLA YANG SALAH - RENUNGAN HARI INI

Bila berbicara mengenai tatakelola, ketelusan adalah salah satu asas yang penting. Tidak guna berbicara mengenai tatakelola dengan niat yang tidak jujur.

Ada pihak-pihak tertentu apabila diminta laporan, mereka menyediakan 2 laporan yang berbeza. Satu laporan sebenar yang disimpan untuk dilihat oleh orang-orang tertentu, satu lagi laporan "berhias" untuk diserahkan kepada pihak atasan.

Laporan "cantik" hanyalah untuk "feel good factor" dan tidak menggambarkan suasana yang sebenar.

Ini menyebabkan ketidaktepatan maklumat mungkin juga membuka peluang kepada unsur korupsi berlaku.

Kisah sebenar hanyalah diketahui apabila melihat hasil/keputusan akhir atau berlaku sesuatu peristiwa yang kurang menyenangkan atau apabila pihak atasan turun sendiri untuk memeriksa ketepatan laporan berkenaan atau apabila pihak ketiga yang dilantik pihak atasan untuk memeriksa rekod/dokumentasi.

Perkara ini; pada saya; tidak patut berlaku dan sepatutnya dibendung oleh pihak pengurusan kerana ketidaktepatan maklumat laporan adalah juga unsur korupsi.

Jika mana-mana ahli pengurusan merasakan adanya unsur negatif seperti ini, tidak perlu takut untuk melaporkan hal yang sebenar kepada pihak atasan dengan bukti-bukti yang jelas supaya tindakan susulan boleh dilaksanakan.

Hal ini menjadi satu kesalahan dari segi agama dan perundangan terhadap mereka yang tidak melaporkannya atau memberikan laporan yang tidak benar dan juga ke atas mereka yang tahu akan kebenaran tetapi memilih untuk menyembunyikannya kerana ketakutan hilangnya sesuatu kepentingan.

TYPICAL CORRUPTION PRACTICES IN PROCUREMENT (ANTI-BRIBERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SERIES)

Photo source : Dreamtime

Based on my experience in assessment, one of the most critical department that I would focus on would be Procurement (or Purchasing) This is because the department are involved in various transactions with Supplier/Sub-Contractor/Materials where if not properly controlled or without proper procedure, potential and risk of corruption practices may occur.

Disclaimer - Without naming such organization (s) due to Oath of Confidentiality and the author may change some details/sequence of events - corruption in the Procurement Department can occur through various means and practices. Here are some common ways in which corruption can happen in procurement:

(1) Bribery

Suppliers/Subcontractors may offer bribes to procurement officials in exchange for favorable treatment, such as winning a contract or receiving preferential pricing. This can involve cash payments, gifts, vacations, or other forms of illicit benefits.

(2) Collusion

Procurement officials may collude with specific suppliers/subcontractors to manipulate the bidding process. They might provide confidential information about competitors' bids, set biased selection criteria, or create artificial barriers to exclude certain suppliers, all with the aim of awarding contracts to predetermined vendors.

(3) Kickbacks

Procurement officials may receive kickbacks from suppliers/subcontractors after awarding them contracts. In this scenario, the suppliers/subcontractors inflate their prices and then kick back a portion of the excess payment to the corrupt officials.

(4) Fraudulent Invoicing

Suppliers/Subcontractors can submit fraudulent invoices to procurement departments for goods or services that were never delivered or were delivered at inflated prices (even I've seen cases of wrong (intentional) delivery to a further location "blaming" the location given by Procurement (intentional) - in order for the subcontractor/supplier to claim additional cost) Corrupt officials may approve these invoices in exchange for kickbacks or other personal benefits.

(5) Conflict of Interest

Procurement officials with undisclosed personal interests or relationships may manipulate the bidding process to favour companies they are associated with, such as family members or close friends (cronyism) . This undermines fair competition and can result in biased contract awards. (anti-trust)

(depending of the case where "impartiality" can be proven)

(6) Nontransparent Procurement Processes

Lack of transparency in procurement procedures can create opportunities for corruption. For instance, if the Procurement Department operates without clear guidelines or proper oversight, officials can exploit loopholes to engage in corrupt practices.

(7) Weak internal controls

Inadequate internal controls and poor governance structures within the procurement department can facilitate corruption. Lack of segregation of duties, limited oversight, and ineffective auditing mechanisms create an environment conducive to fraudulent activities.

(8) Influence peddling

Powerful individuals or organizations may exert undue influence on the procurement process to benefit certain suppliers/subcontractors. This could involve political pressure, nepotism, or other forms of manipulation, thereby compromising the integrity of procurement decisions.

Preventing corruption in the procurement department requires robust anti-corruption measures, such as :

a) implementing transparent processes,

b) promoting accountability and ethics,

c) conducting regular audits, and

d) providing training on anti-corruption practices.

It's crucial to establish a strong ethical culture and foster an environment where reporting corruption is encouraged and protected.

NEW GOVERNMENT OF MALAYSIA TO LOOK INTO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

#PakatanHarapan I would like to propose the Government of Malaysia either : to cancel or differ or relook into : 1) the MRT (Line 2) which is now progressing, ECRL, LRT III, Menara PNB KL118, Pan Borneo, Bandar 1 Malaysia and many others which have been horrendously valued at billions of ringgits, if possible, repossess the unused lands (it would be noble to give it back to the people), repossess the remaining budget for future negotiated compensations, look hardly into the ridiculous salary scale, the inexperienced construction personnel, possible harassment using "power/influence", race and gender polarization etc. (Most of these projects are somehow could be "linked" to 1MDB)

2) Look also into the Project Delivery Partner concept (PDP) and consider replacing it with the conventional "Design and Build" perhaps using JKR guidelines, 3) Many of the Work Package Contractors under the pretext of helping the "Bumiputera" and the sub contractors/suppliers are NOT well-known to the construction industry. A sudden emergence of possible "inexperienced" contractors - possibility of mass-corruption/cronyism happening, newly formed "enterprise" entity suddenly being changed to "Sendirian Berhad (Sdn Bhd - Private Limited) with G7 grading (try looking into CIDB approval and the relevant personnel as well) 4) JKKP/DOSH, please be much stricter now, you should not be afraid as the new Government will be backing you up, 5) There have been "rumours" about a JV entity controlling the major construction materials. ("you only provide workmanship but you must buy from us") This should NOT be happening as it will kill the suppliers' market. The concept equivalent to "CENTRAL CONTRACT" should be ABOLISHED! 5) Hire personnel based on "KNOW HOW"..not "KNOW WHO" Historical places such as Ampang Park and Sungai Besi Air Force base (and God knows how many others) that are now scheduled for destruction to give way to the so-called projects should be immediately STOPPED. Rebuild Ampang Park and the Air Force and let them STAY where they are now! For Ampang Park : Give the stores back to the rightful traders/owners For Sungai Besi Air Force base : that is up to the government More proposal will be coming