When the term Malaysian Inc. was introduced in the 80s it signalled the awakening of the government authorities that working with business in a cooperative collaboration would speeden up the industrialisation process and for at least 15 years Malaysia grew at an impressive pace given the stable political climate and reasonable laws to safeguard investors.
Even the NEP policies did not dampen the foreign investors and manufacturing became an important leg to augment the primary industries.
Somewhere along the way,the separation of business and government became blurred and today it seems that the government has developed an incestous relationship with some business that even a non-strategic toll and water agreement can be placed away from public scrutiny under the protection of the OSA.
As we do not have a Whistleblower's Protection Act to safeguard civil servants who expose wrong-doings,the Works Minister is now planning action under the OSA for the leak.
It does not matter even if the toll agreement reveals that the company given the concession was awarded the equivalent of a blank cheque and road users now have to pay for that generosity.
In some other countries, the person responsible would have had to resign and the anti-corruption agencies would conduct their own inquiry.
It is time to hold the government accountable for such devious practices.
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