Editorial by Pen BonaCambodge Soir Hebdo
Translated from French by Luc Sâr
Corruption, Fight against corruption: These catchwords are on everybody lips. They are mentioned by political leaders, they can be heard through the civil society, but the ordinary citizens are the ones who talk the most about them.
Fighting against corruption seems to be the rallying theme for the upcoming July election. In fact, with the approaching election and the increase in the cost of living, people are fed up and the poor are grumbling. Most of all, the civil society is pushing the government to speed up the adoption of the anti-corruption draft law, considered as a necessary tool for this matter. Opposition parties are also expressing their full support to this project, whereas the government claims that it is taking concrete measures without waiting the adoption of the law. Nevertheless, nothing seems to change.
In Cambodia, corruption is very visible. Government workers are publicly asking bribes from those who need their service in plain sight. The wealth of high ranking officials – whose salary alone cannot justify their fortune – is very visible. Those who transport goods must offer “gifts” nonstop along their routes at the checkpoints. All this happens in plain sight.
When corruption becomes a habit, how can one fight against this (bad) habit? The availability of a law sanctioning corrupt officials is indeed needed, but it wouldn’t go anywhere if there is no real will behind it. “Fix the problem at its root,” is a good concept advanced by the intellectuals, however, it is the entire structure of the society that must be revisited. The political system, inherited from an Asian tradition, is client-based. Politicians have to spend a lot to reach their goals, one they occupy a position, they have to recover the money they laid out in advance to obtain their positions in the first place.
Another phenomenon: consumerism or the race for material wealth. In the past few years, wealth and the show off of wealth top all moral values. To be rich is to be respected, and therefore, to be fearsome, thus how the wealth is acquired does not matter anymore in people’s mind. How can we change such mentality nowadays? What can the politicians do to reverse such trend and to promote values other than money and wealth? How can people be directed to care about the general interest rather than one’s selfish interest?
Maybe it should start by ending the hypocrisy that exists in the political world. Talking alone is not enough, concrete actions are needed. More often than not, those who point out the corrupt people are as corrupt as those they accuse…
There is no miracle pill to cure the cancer of the Khmer society, everybody must work on it, simply.
Fighting against corruption seems to be the rallying theme for the upcoming July election. In fact, with the approaching election and the increase in the cost of living, people are fed up and the poor are grumbling. Most of all, the civil society is pushing the government to speed up the adoption of the anti-corruption draft law, considered as a necessary tool for this matter. Opposition parties are also expressing their full support to this project, whereas the government claims that it is taking concrete measures without waiting the adoption of the law. Nevertheless, nothing seems to change.
In Cambodia, corruption is very visible. Government workers are publicly asking bribes from those who need their service in plain sight. The wealth of high ranking officials – whose salary alone cannot justify their fortune – is very visible. Those who transport goods must offer “gifts” nonstop along their routes at the checkpoints. All this happens in plain sight.
When corruption becomes a habit, how can one fight against this (bad) habit? The availability of a law sanctioning corrupt officials is indeed needed, but it wouldn’t go anywhere if there is no real will behind it. “Fix the problem at its root,” is a good concept advanced by the intellectuals, however, it is the entire structure of the society that must be revisited. The political system, inherited from an Asian tradition, is client-based. Politicians have to spend a lot to reach their goals, one they occupy a position, they have to recover the money they laid out in advance to obtain their positions in the first place.
Another phenomenon: consumerism or the race for material wealth. In the past few years, wealth and the show off of wealth top all moral values. To be rich is to be respected, and therefore, to be fearsome, thus how the wealth is acquired does not matter anymore in people’s mind. How can we change such mentality nowadays? What can the politicians do to reverse such trend and to promote values other than money and wealth? How can people be directed to care about the general interest rather than one’s selfish interest?
Maybe it should start by ending the hypocrisy that exists in the political world. Talking alone is not enough, concrete actions are needed. More often than not, those who point out the corrupt people are as corrupt as those they accuse…
There is no miracle pill to cure the cancer of the Khmer society, everybody must work on it, simply.
10 comments:
"Maybe it should start by ending the hypocrisy that exists in the political world. Talking alone is not enough, concrete actions are needed. More often than not, those who point out the corrupt people are as corrupt as those they accuse…"
That certainly sounds like Ah Spam Rainxy who constantly bribing people to vote for him, and at the same time he's always pointing finger at everyone.
Hong Kong's anti-corruption model:
1. Central role of existing incorruptible British courts of law which are completely independent from the government;
2. Combating police corruption;
3. Setting up a powerful and effective Independent Commission Against Corruption with easy accessibility to the public;
4. Creating an anti-corruption culture in the society;
5. Performance pledge by all public authorities: clear timeframe for the delivery of quality public services.
LAO Mong Hay, Hong Kong
Ladies and Gentlemen, comment @8:24AM is the arrogant and babaric voice of the Viet-born parasite and plunderer as he himself had proclaimed here all over KI-Media...joining in by his other gang members such as the self-proclaimed Free-thinker and his clans also known as KJE...
The readers can judge for themselves of the true nature and colors of the Viet's parasites and CPP's mad dogs here on KI-Media...
yes, talking and making it visible is a good way to tackle this problem. it is by not talking and by hiding it that this kind of problem will persist. god bless cambodia.
Ya right that YOUN dog @8:24AM is a khmer with YOUn brain that alway support the killer and khmer people blood sucker like HUN SHIT and it dogs.
cambodia, please use or adopt the hong kong's model or singapore model please... god bless cambodia.
We are adopting Hong Kong and Singapore model as we speak, 11:06.
Corruption is tricky. Even schools, which are supposed to teach high morals to students, are not free of corruption. This behavior is reinforced both by teachers and students. In a way, there are many that accept corruption as a way of life in Cambodia. With such an attitude, do not expect to be rid of corruption quickly.
I s not the fucking attitude is not a fucking choices ! It is the funking systemmatic set up by CPP to make people corrupted to be SURVIVE!
What's a shit load of crock? Had Ah Spam Rainsy not brought over his corrupted supporters over from the west, Cambodia would have been 100 times better today.
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