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Where is our mass media? Where are the members of our Fourth Estate? This land scandal was already before the High Court as early as 2002 or 2003. I stand corrected of course on the date, but the principle of accountability and transparency still holds.

The principle was ignored by the Tsu Koon-led state government.

In the 2004 general election hustings, no one breathed a word about it. The mass media, as we know it, was also silent on this. Obviously, the Opposition was unaware of this scandal, otherwise they would have exposed it.

So a land scandal that exposes the state government to a multi-million ringgit liability was effectively kept out of the public pale. By whom? The State Government leaders at that time? Alone or acting in concert with the mass media?

What can we, as members of the public, make of this silence? A conspiracy of silence?

No wonder the bloggers are having a field day and enjoying so much credibility.

Now we understand why the files went missing when the Opposition took office after the general election on March 8, 2008. To the credit of the then Alliance State Government under Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee, these files were intact when the Gerakan assumed power after the May 10, 1969, general election.

Tan Sri Wong may not be a Ph.D holder but, to his eternal credit, he certainly knew how to hand over the apparatus of government to the Opposition after he lost the election, with all the files intact.

Stephen Tan Ban Cheng

Stephen,

You wrote "Now we understand why the files went missing when the Opposition took office after the general election on March 8, 2008."

With due respect, are you sure that the files did go missing?

If the files went missing, why didn't the new state government lodged a police report and let the police to carry out the investigation?

Clement Ong Tun Heang

My dear Clement

Just do a simple search for the news that appeared in our website as well.

If my memory serves me right, a lot of states where power changed hands to the Opposition after March 8, 2008, saw executive council papers missing.

If you cannot find the same, please run a check with your friends in journalism. Maybe, even our fellow lawyer friends will be able to confirm the fact.

Stephen Tan Ban Cheng

My dear Stephen,

Thanks for your reply. I hope Mr. Stephen did not take my comments personally.

I apology for not making my previous question more specify. So, when you mentioned "a lot of states", does that include Penang?

I used to work in Penang Exco Office, and I left the office after the 2004 General Election.

As far as I am concerned, all the government files are duplicate, the original one will be kept in State Secretary's office or the relevant government agencies, and the copy will be kept in Exco's office, for Exco's easy reference.

When you wrote, "Now we understand why the files went missing when the Opposition took office after the general election on March 8, 2008. To the credit of the then Alliance State Government under Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee, these files were intact when the Gerakan assumed power after the May 10, 1969, general election.", it suggested that the Barisan Nasional State Government did not practice the same as the Alliance State Government did.

Well, if I did read beyond the line, I apologize.

Further, when the files still kept with State Secretary and government agencies, can we claim the file is missing?

Clement Ong Tun Heang