By Daniel John Jambun, Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo)
KOTA KINABALU: Borneo’s Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BoPiMaFo) takes note of the statement by newly appointed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman, who pledged a stronger fight against corruption, abuse of power, and misappropriation.
We welcome the statement.
But Sabahans no longer judge MACC by speeches.
Sabahans judge MACC by action.
1. THE REAL TEST IS NOT RHETORIC — IT IS THE SMM SCANDAL
If the new MACC chief is serious about fighting corruption, then one issue immediately stands before him:
The Sabah Mineral Management (SMM) corruption scandal.
This is not a vague allegation whispered in coffee shops.
This is a scandal already exposed publicly with materials, recordings, and evidence widely circulated and debated.
The issue now is simple:
Will MACC act?
Or will MACC pretend not to see?
2. THE SCANDAL HAS NOW ESCALATED INTO A QUESTION OF INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY
Recent public allegations have now taken this matter to an even more serious level.
Whistleblower Albert Tei has reportedly publicly named former MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki as the officer who allegedly warned him not to expose the Sabah mining scandal.
Reports further indicate that a police report has since been lodged regarding the matter.
If these allegations are true, then this is no longer merely a corruption scandal.
This becomes a serious question of institutional integrity.
The public now faces an even more disturbing question:
Was the scandal protected from outside MACC — or from within MACC itself?
3. FAILURE TO ACT CREATES A DANGEROUS PUBLIC PERCEPTION
Let us be absolutely clear:
When evidence appears strong and public attention is massive, but enforcement remains silent, people will naturally ask:
Who is being protected?
Who is untouchable?
Who is giving instructions from above?
The longer no decisive action is taken, the more damaging the perception becomes.
A corruption commission cannot demand public confidence while appearing selective in enforcement.
A corruption commission also cannot claim independence if whistleblowers themselves allege they were pressured into silence by individuals linked to the very institution entrusted to fight corruption.
4. “NO INTERFERENCE” MUST BE PROVEN — NOT ANNOUNCED
Malaysia has heard anti-corruption promises for decades.
Every new leadership speaks about:
integrity
transparency
reform
professionalism
But eventually the same public question returns:
Can MACC investigate politically connected individuals without fear?
This is why the SMM scandal matters nationally.
Because this case will determine whether the new MACC leadership truly operates independently — or whether political influence still controls enforcement priorities behind closed doors.
5. SABAHANS ARE WATCHING
Sabah has suffered enough from scandals involving:
resource management
political patronage
licensing controversies
elite protection
Sabahans do not want another “high-profile investigation” that quietly disappears after media attention fades.
If MACC truly wants credibility restored, then the principle must be simple:
No protection.
No delay.
No selective prosecution.
6. THIS IS THE NEW MACC CHIEF’S FIRST MAJOR TEST
Datuk Seri Abdul Halim Aman has publicly declared that corruption and abuse of power will be fought seriously.
Good.
Then the public now expects something even more important than statements:
Courage.
Because in Malaysia, the problem was never the absence of anti-corruption slogans.
The problem was always whether enforcement stops when power begins.
Enough excuses.
Enough selective silence.
Enough protection politics.
If the evidence is strong, act.
Otherwise, the public will conclude that the real power over anti-corruption enforcement still sits somewhere above MACC itself.
