Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
‘My brother did it’ – remembering a dark day for integrity By R Nadeswaran
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
Azam Baki
Malaysiakini : Far from it - Section 10 of the Public Officers Regulation (Conduct
and Discipline) 1993, all public servants must declare both movable
properties, such as money in bank accounts, motor vehicles, jewelleries,
firearms, shares, warrants, stocks, bonds and securities, as well as
immovable properties, such as land, landed properties, and of course,
business ownership or directorship.
In addition, there are related
rules in Service Circular Number 3/2002 – Ownership and Declaration of
Assets by Public Officials, which prevents a public servant from owning
more than RM100,000 worth of shares in any company.
Feet-dragging
Under Azam’s leadership several issues have been raised. The latest being payments made to four ministers.
Details of such dealing were contained in a ledger which was part of
the voluminous documents tendered at the ongoing High Court trial of
former deputy prime minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The MACC acted
almost immediately after former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leisner
testified in a New York court in February that he had given gifts to his mistresses worth millions. But when it came to disclosures in a local trial, there was feet-dragging.
Why
investigation papers on such illegal transactions were not opened as
soon as the ledger was sighted when investigations began several years
ago is anyone’s guess. Only after a public outcry did the MACC announce their intentions to investigate.
In a column
on Jan 7, I wrote: “To say that the image and reputation of the
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are in tatters would be an
understatement.
“Its chief, Azam Baki, offered a preposterous and
ludicrous explanation on his reported ownership of shares in
public-listed companies. But he did not do himself any favour by
claiming, ‘I did no wrong’.”
The problems within MACC are like all
other issues of integrity and accountability in our system of
governance. After an issue is brought to the fore, there will be all
kinds of statements and clamours but no action. After a few weeks, it
will be forgotten and things will go back to business as usual.
Azam
continues to head the commission but paid no heed or even considered
the many suggestions and positive ideas to rejuvenate the
anti-corruption drive which appears to be staggering to a halt.
The
National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) was launched three years ago but
it has yet to be implemented in full. The government spends large sums
of money, time and effort to draw up comprehensive strategies which most
of the time, end up in a steel cabinet of government offices gathering
dust.
In a couple of years, there will be some minor changes to
the plan and it will be re-badged and launched as NACP 2.0. And the saga
will continue.
