The mayor of Toronto is in trouble after he was found guilty of conflict of interest. How would Malaysian politicians fare under the same exacting standard?
He is now appealing the decision.
The offence that caused Mr Ford’s ejection followed a familiar pattern. While still a city councillor, Mr Ford used his official status to raise C$3,150 ($3,170) for his private charity, a football foundation. He refused to repay the money, ignoring a request by the city’s integrity commissioner that was endorsed by the council. As mayor, he took part in a debate and a vote last February overturning the integrity commissioner’s findings. That was a breach of the law and the mandatory penalty was loss of office.
via Canada’s biggest city: Model-T Ford breaks down | The Economist.
Before that, he had been surrounded by controversy:
– caught talking on his mobile phone while driving (against the law in Ontario),
– reading while driving on the expressway (also illegal),
– using city staff and money to run a high-school football team that he skipped out of council meetings.
He reportedly shrugged off most of these accusations, said The Economist.
Meanwhile, Ford’s troubles are not over. The results of an audit into his election campaign spending are due to to be released soon. The audit was carried out after a complaint was filed:
Among other allegations, they argue that the Ford campaign breached the Municipal Elections Act by exceeding the legal spending limit by $156,384 and by allowing a Ford family company to pay for $77,722 in campaign expenses. The campaign repaid the company a year later without interest; corporate donations, and loans from companies that are not recognized lending institutions, are illegal.
via More trouble for Rob Ford? Audit results coming in January – thestar.com.
I wonder how Malaysian politicians would fare using a similar yardstick.
My guess is that the MACC and the courts would be very busy. But then again, this is Bolehland; so probably not.
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@sam,
see open always. Can’t accept the fact that BN is so GOOD giving away RM500 to the people ???
Follow the blog guideline. no personal attack but focus on the points raised. Be a good boy.
There is a desperate attempt by the writer of this article to demonstrate his knowledge of the matter he writes about which occurred in Toronto Canada. Firstly no one can be “found guilty of conflict of interest”. There is no offence called “conflict of interest”. A conflict of interest which produces or provides a benefit to the person who is the subject of that conflict has an obligation to either remove themselves or to take corrective action to mitigate the potential for conflict or at least declare the conflict. A failure to do so draws criticism. A benefit obtained from… Read more »
Steven Gan report on 200B that left Malaysia in 2010. Earlier was another 894B. BNM (people) must be in bed with the politicians. Please ask reader to tune in to this youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSIUf2hD6Io&feature=player_embedded&w=400
B…… the bankers & the politicians.
This is what differentiate first world mentality and third world mentality. The Canadian and westerners would die to defend their legitimate governing processes. They live by system, protect and follow it, it never die, only the set of leaders changed and died. It is reliable, their leaders operate as per the system, hence, even a dog was elected president, it performs. The easterners would die to defend their (leaders), that ‘human-being’ is the leader and what he decides are laws. The governing process is only a tool or excuses, it would be screwed. It depends on ‘goodness’ of leader, voters… Read more »
Hi everyone, No system is also a system, no standards is also a standards! So, how to compare Malaysia’s, particularly that of UMNO Baru and BN politicians, political ethics with that established internationally. The Malacca CM making use of govt servants and facilities for his son’s mega wedding is NOT abuse of power, hence NOT corruption in the books of UMNO Baru and BN! A minister’s son using a businessman’s RM1 million car does not have any conflict of interest! UMNO Baru, particularly the PM, making use of public facilities for overt political campaigning is also NOT abuse of power,… Read more »
Rasuah can also mean,’to bribe’. Beri rasuah. Ambil rasuah. To pay for freedom.
But corruption is not rasuah. I think in Bahasa, it sounds more like ‘kurap’, a disease of the skin, that is difficult to be cured.
We don’t even beat Indonesia as far as standards is concern.. In fact, I wills say that all the talk of Malaysia being less corrupted than our neighbours in ASEAN is nonsense..Having worked with politicians and govt around the region, I say they are less efficient because they lack systems and funding BUT no way the corruption is more than Malaysia..
Toronto ??? Who cares ??? Even Singapore things many of us don’t care.
Most times its quite amusing to read your silly comments but this time I think your comment is super stupid. Whether Toronto or Singapore or even in your grandmother’s backyard, the person who pays the ultimate price for corruption is the ordinary citizen e.g. your mother, your son, your grand-daughter, your father, or your friend who had triple bypass at IJN etc. If you cannot figure that out, then you either truly stupid or you are one of those who are corrupted. My opinion is that you are truly stupid. You are probably not even paid by the corrupted to… Read more »
When one is so corruptible, who care.
The incorruptible certainly care.
For the Japanese, it would be hara kiri or sepuku. Shame is something the Japanese find it hard to accept. Even the kids are following the foot steps of the adults. If they failed their exams badly, they go home and hang themselves. Such is the competitive nature of the Japanese society. UMNO moral behaviour can’t even come close. The more they are exposed to corruption or other form of criminal activities, the more they cling tighter to their positions What a damning contrast!
Well, well, not until you learn the history of modern Japan king corruption Tanaaka Kakuei.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakuei_Tanaka
To learn the real meaning of Mahathir “look east policies”, one must learn the what Tanaka Kakuei did to Japan politics and business, Then you will notice identical pattern in practice.
Puppet jump, puppet bend over, puppet say “yes”, puppet break promises.
One need not wait for Goddess of Mercy birthday celebration to see Teochew puppet-on-strings show at Kuan Yin Temple. It’s here to see in our no-money-no-talk politicians run by corporate honchos.
For Bolehland(TM ) standard, this is not corruption.
By the way, in Malay dictionary, corruption does not exist.
Rasuah.
Mind you , Indonesia language use “korupsi” instead of “rasuah”. Anyone in Bolehland well verse in Bahasa may disagree and insist “rasuah” is good enough, but it is the arab origin word more towards bribery. E.g. “corruption of power”, you cannot translate to “rasuah kuasa”, nor you can translate to “kecemaran kuasa”. Even Peyelewengan kuasa (power abuse) also wrong, Misuse of public assets/services for own use is a typical corruption although some can beautify it as “misconduct”. As in “power corrupt, abQsolute power corrupt absolutely” kinda of mind corruption, well, I want to see how one use “rasuah” to define… Read more »
Well, he’s appealing the decision, so using him as an example is half pound/eight ounces.
The Brits are quite good when it comes to tendering resignations, even before a scandal becomes full blown. Has something to do with honor and accepting responsibility, I think.