An Umno Supreme Council member was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. A political secretary to a minister was arrested by the MACC with RM75,000 in his car.
A front-runner for a senior position in Umno is due to face the Umno disciplinary committee tribunal this week. A senior party official vying for a top post in the past may receive a show cause letter from the disciplinary committee this week.
But all this sabre-rattling could amount to zero action against the practitioners of money politics in Umno. This seems to be the popular belief inside and outside Malaysia’s ruling party.
Among party members, the consensus is that no Umno official contesting the party polls at the end of the month should be shamed publicly.
If there is some “evidence’’ that a party official has used money or other inducement to buy support from the 2,000 electoral college, then the person should be persuaded not to contest the election. But he should not be charged in court by the MACC or suspended by the party.
The damage to the party’s image would be severe if dirty linen is washed in public. In addition, Umno and Barisan Nasional cannot afford a revolt from supporters of party officials who are shamed publicly with three by-elections around the corner.
The by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai will be held on April 7.
In any case, party official reason that in most cases, only a few hundred ringgit change hands between the candidate and the electorate.
Outside the party, the consensus is that precious little will be done to tackle corruption in Umno, especially with polling day just two weeks away.
Reflecting this sentiment is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the former prime minister who quit the party last year in protest against the leadership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
He noted that during the divisional elections in November last year, Tengku Ahmad Rithaudeen said that the party’s disciplinary committee had received 900 complaints related to corruption.
“The public have been waiting for the outcome of the investigations and what action has been taken…But there has been no news about the 900 cases. Are all the complaints unfounded? Is the election for the Supreme Council clean as a piece of white cloth?, ‘’ he wondered.
Dr Mahathir added that currently there were stories circulating on attempts to buy the support of delegates attending the assembly.
“There is talk that thousands of ringgit is being paid to delegates. True? Surely it cannot be that all the stories are baseless, ‘’ he said.
Returning to a theme which he has spoken about since March 8 2008, the former party president cautioned Umno that Malaysians are watching their antics closely.
A year ago many Malaysians, including party members, rejected Umno candidates at the ballot box. Dr Mahathir warned that this trend would continue the next time general elections are held if corrupt officials grab senior positions in the party.
Dr Mahathir has railed against money politics in the run-up to the party polls and even threatened to name politicians he believed were guilty of graft. He has only two weeks to make good his promise.
If he names the culprits, will action be taken? Do not bet on it.
Malaysian Insider
11/03/09
mi1: No direction yet from UMNO which minister to aim!!!
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