Not immoral for politicians to accept gifts (1)

The article Ministers Cannot Accept Gifts - Code Of Ethics (October 14) omits to specify that the referred-to code of ethics, that is incidentally self-imposed by Cabinet, is for purposes of general direction only. Additionally, in my opinion, the article imposes on the reader the misguided perception that any code "insists" rather than simply recommends and assists Cabinet Ministers to make a better judgment of such a situation. It is not immoral to accept a gift so long as there is no creation of conflict of interest. I fail to understand what this particular controversy is all about!

Let us hope in general that our legislators are not isolated, but indeed in touch with industry stakeholders so that they can take the necessary steps to ensure our international competitiveness in various economic areas, particularly for the larger industries such as the gaming industry that contribute significantly to our GDP.

It may perhaps be argued that the timing of Tonio Fenech's trip is unfortunate in the current pathetic political climate. But then again, is it not perhaps the raising of unnecessary fuss and focus on petty items fuelling popular speculation in the likely pursuit of personal ambition that is really immoral, as it may even threaten the legislative processes and the country's progress?