Corruption Worsens in Malaysia (2)

Found this article in Malaysian Insider which reported the same topic that I blogged yesterday. The actual article is from Bernama. http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/home/42-lead-stories/227-malaysia-improving-in-corruption-index-can-do-better

Read this, and compare this with my earlier article as reported by mysinchew.com. http://fusioninvestor.blogspot.com/2008/06/corruption-worsens-in-malaysia.html

What a total contrast in reporting!

I am most dissappointed with Bernama! Read it, and see for yourself why.
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Malaysia improving (?) in Corruption Index, can do better

(Seng: What? Malaysia improving? Are you serious? A score from 4.0 in 1996 which deteriorated to a score of 2.38 in 2006 and you call that improving?)

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Malaysia has made a headway (?) in the battle against corruption, but the country can do better, according to an analysis in a United Nation's Development Programme (UNDP) report.

The report, presented by Transparency International (TI) Malaysia president Tan Sri Ramon V. Navaratnam today, stated that Malaysia ranked sixth according to the World Bank and TI, but ninth according to the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG).

Navaratnam said this was the first time a report on how corruption impacted human development had been delivered.

"Prior to this, most corruption reports focused on index and indices. We are not interested in comparing how well we are doing in the index against countries that are weaker than us. On the other hand, we must compare and benchmark ourselves against countries that are doing well in order to improve ourselves instead of being complacent," he said.

(Seng: Ok. I hear you talk about comparing with countries better than ourselves, so, where is that comparison?

Although the World Bank's Control of Corruption Index (CCI) and TI's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) showed higher progress, the ICRG, which perceives corruption from business and trade aspects, reflected a steady deterioration over the last decade from 4.00 in 1996 to 2.38 in 2006.

(Seng: Ok. In the middle of nowhere, after you lied via the Headline and after you lied from the First Sentence, you then decide to hide and print the truth that it deteriorated from 4.00 to 2.38.

Also, if the index deteriorated from 4.00 to 2.38, where is your basis to claim that Malaysia improve?

And also, where is the comparison with Singapore, where over the same period, Singapore improved from 4.0 to 4.5?)

And to make things worse, UNDP reported that corruption hit the poor hardest, especially through what had been termed as "petty" or "street" corruption where low-level officials (in permit registration, licensing, police) could harrass the people for extra money to "grease the wheels".

(Seng: And where is that reference to "Negotiated Tender" being one of the main sources of corruption?)

Navaratnam said although the government was battling corruption in the right way, he believed the government should give a stronger dosage to this national illness by tackling it not only from the "top down" but also from "bottom up" because this could better help the poor.

He also voiced his regret that Malaysia is not yet a party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption but being a former government officer, Navaratnam said he understood that the government took time to discuss the policies and legislation inherent with such international agreements.

As for SMS rumours (!) going around saying that the IMF would fund Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's campaign to buy over Barisan Nasional MPs and in return mortgage Petronas and a few other national companies to the IMF once he becomes prime minister, Navaratnam said:

"I used to work with the World Bank. The World Bank does not involve itself in politics and I doubt its board of directors would even contemplate or agree to such a thing." — Bernama

(Seng comment: Right. Take a cheap shot at Anwar via "SMS rumours", even though from 1996 to 2006 when corruption situation has deteriorated, the country's leaders were TDM and Abdullah.

And conveniently ignore Navaratnam's comment about "Malaysia can do much better if there is stronger political will to fight corruption on all fronts." . Amazing!)

Conclusion: What can I say?

1. Misleading Title.

2. Misleading First Sentence.

3. No statistical basis to justify claim of improvement in 1. and 2.

4. Hide the truth in the middle of the article.

5. Twist a quotation by an authority to make it appear we improved by comparing to a country that has also improved.

6. Hide the comparison with Singapore, because it would make Malaysia look bad.

7. And most importantly, don't even talk about Negotiated Tender being the first source of corruption.

8. Shift attention to Anwar, and publicize these SMS rumours more!

9. Don't ever mention that from 1996 to 2006, our leaders are TDM and Abdullah!

WOW! Definitely an A+ in misleading reporting! Congratulations Bernama! Malaysians have much to learn from you in "accurate reporting"!