I am a bit perplexed by the malaysiakini report on the confession of Adam Yong Abdullah . I think most malaysiakini readers would like to know the 'crime' that had been committed by him and those who received the commissions.

This involved the sale of certain shoplots in the six-storey Plaza Melaka Raya by the developer to the government at a "highly marked-up value". What is so wrong with that? In Malaysia, whether in the private sector or the government, it has always been a case of willing buyer and willing seller basis. So are the three shoplots which were sold at RM4.05 million to the Malacca Development Board under the Entrepreneurial Development and Cooperatives Ministry's programme.

It is common knowledge and a practise in Malaysia that if you act as a broker you are entitled to a commission. Adam Yong Abdullah thinks that the RM50,000 he got is far too excessive and because of his newly found spirituality in Islam, he felt that it was 'haram'.

If that is how he feels about the RM50,000, he should donate to the funds to ex-Sabah ACA chief Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan in his quest for justice. Buying property at over-inflated price cannot per se be considered illegal.