Transparency International Malaysia’s Paul Low resigns

Published: Monday October 5, 2009 MYT 4:09:00 PMUpdated: Monday October 5, 2009 MYT 7:02:31 PM
Transparency International Malaysia’s Paul Low resigns (Update)
By LOH FON FOONG
KUALA LUMPUR: Transparency International (Malaysia) president Datuk Paul Low who had recently presented the Berlin-based Global Corruption Report (GCR) 2009 resigned Monday as president of the organisation.
The resignation was in light of differing interpretations and views garnered following the release of the report, said its secretary-general Dr Loi Kheng Min.
Low accepted full and sole responsibility for release of the Malaysian Chapter of the report, Loi said in a statement Monday.
The report had cited the Port Klang Free Zone scandal as the biggest scandal of the year and it created an uproar within and outside of the organisation.
In the interim, Datuk Mohamed Iqbal will be acting President, in line with the Constitution of the organisation.
In a telephone interview, Low said he took responsibility for releasing the report without the Executive Committee reviewing it.
There were differing views on the content and he took the responsibility even though he did not write the report, he said.
“The stakes against TI as an anti-corruption NGO was higher than my own personal interest,” he said.
On whether anyone had pressured him to resign, he said “no.”
On whether there was a conflict of interest as some alleged in his wearing two hats - as the president of TI and the chairman of the Port Klang Authority Ad Hoc Committee on Governance - Low said that there was no conflict of interest because the committee was only involved in recommending proposals for improvement in governance at PKA and not in any investigation.
“It is our job to put in procurement systems or any system in the Government,” he said adding that the Exco had approved his involvement in the Ad Hoc Committee while the Berlin-based TI had congratulated him.
Low said for now, he would concentrate on his work in the Committee until his contract ends in December.
TI-Malaysia executive director Mark Chay said that Low’s resignation was a loss for TI.
Chay said the Board members stood by Low in his involvement as the chairman of the PKA Ad Hoc Committee on Governance because he was only involved in recommending proposals and not in investigation.
According to sources, another exco member Tan Sri Robert Phang who was also adviser to MACC was offended when TI-Malaysia was critical of MACC’s progress.
It was earlier reported that Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing had planned to sue TI-Malaysia following the release of the GCR.