Paying More to Ensure Integrity?

Many have written about the need to pay the police more so that members do not succumb to graft that is perceived by many to be a major problem.

Apart from graft there have also been serious allegations about misconduct and even crimes committed by members of the police force; rangeing from sudden deaths in police lock-ups to the famous nude squats of a woman that was widely circulated.

We also know that the political leaders have not had the courage to implement the IPCMC and all types of delaying tactics have been offered. More skeptical members of the public have probably come to the conclusion that the Attorney-General's office is busy translating the legal framework of the Commission into ancient Greek or Sanskrit or both.

But will paying more money to all civil servants eradicate graft?
In an era of consumerism, it is all too easy for anyone to get enticed into a lifestyle that cannot be sustained with one's income.

Even ministers with salaries of RM15000 plus a month can be seduced by the luxuries of the world and worse still if he or she has a spouse who enjoys luxury goods.

So we should not imagine for one second that simply paying more to civil servants is going to curb graft. The authorities must show that it is really serious about combatting corruption.

And so far the AG's office seems rather slow in pursuing the so-called 18 cases involving VIPs. Guess it is all Greek or Sanskrit to them.