He may be new in the Road Transport Department but director-general Datuk Ahmad Mustapha Abdul Rashid has proven himself to be a tough cookie when it comes to dealing with corrupt officers.

For his efforts, Ahmad Mustapha received a pat on the back from Social Action Initiative Foundation executive deputy chairman Tan Sri Robert Phang, who praised the latter for demonstrating his seriousness and determination to weed out malpractices in the department.

"I am sure that Ahmad Mustapha is not putting on a show. He promised that he would not spare any of his corrupt officers and he has honoured his words.

"His actions show how committed he is in combating the problem and I congratulate him for that," Phang told The Malay Mail yesterday.

"The cases of RTD officers being arrested and investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency is testimony of how Ahmad Mustapha was played out by his men," Phang said.

He stressed that the task of achieving zero-corruption in RTD will be an uphill battle for Ahmad Mustapha, who will need the support from his own officers as well as the public.

"This will be an acid test for him but he has my support," said Phang.

Phang also praised Ahmad Mustapha for having the guts to admit that his men are not clean and for his assurance that corrupt officers will face the music, regardless of their rank or how long they have been in the department.

However, Phang said Ahmad Mustapha should not forget about the `bigger fish'.
"If not, it would be just a waste of time. He should also stand firm and make public the names of the corrupt officers and the action taken," said Phang.

Phang had, on Sept 6, lodged a report with the ACA on alleged malpractices by RTD and Puspakom enforcement officers and had submitted a nine-page document as well as photographs to substantiate his claims.

In a meeting at the ACA headquarters in Putrajaya, Phang surrendered all the evidence he compiled to show that both agencies had failed to adhere to their standard operating procedures.

Phang was referring to the Bukit Gantang bus crash which killed 22 passengers. The bus driver had made the run despite being issued with 13 summonses and two arrest warrants.

"If the agencies do their jobs, tragedies involving express buses would be significantly reduced.

"In the Bukit Gantang case, both agencies were sleeping. If the officers can't do their jobs, they shouldn't act as if they can," he said.

Malaysian Motoring Foundation executive director Mustafa Latif also shared the same sentiment.

"The government has been working hard to fight corruption through numerous campaigns but the problem persists because some people are not responsible and lack integrity," he said.

Mustafa said compounding the problem is the fact that the culprits are not ordinary employees but high-ranking officers who are supposed to set a good example.

Source: Malay Mail (12/12/2008; page 3)