If BN is serious about vetting its election candidates for corrupt practices, bankruptcy and moral misconduct, then Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak and Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud should be first on the chopping block.
“Although the salary of a prime minister or a minister is quite considerable, surely it isn’t so high that he can easily afford such excessive extravagance as spending RM80,000 on his birthday party and RM410,000 for his daughter’s engagement party.
“And in addition the luxury items flaunted by his wife Rosmah Mansor, who is known to possess a large number of Birkin handbags?” asked DAP’s deputy national organising secretary Teo Nie Ching in a statement today.
She recalled that Najib started his political career at 23 after inheriting the parliamentary seat held by his father, Abdul Razak Hussein, who was the second prime minister of Malaysia.
Teo added that Najib then went on to hold exclusively government positions, until he was appointed prime minister of Malaysia in 2009.
“I’m sure all Malaysians would be curious to know how he managed to accumulate so much wealth while being a full-time politician since his mid-20s,” she queried.
‘Taib’s immense wealth’
Additionally, Teo pointed out that Swiss-based NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) had already issued a damning report making allegations on Taib’s immense wealth.
“It is the first report that describes in detail the business activities and personal wealth of 20 members of the Taib family in Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United States and other countries.
“Despite all the details in the report, our Prime Minister Najib has dismissed allegations that Taib had amassed billions of ringgit during his tenure as Sarawak chief minister for 31 years in September this year by making a most irresponsible comment: ‘There are all kinds of allegations, jangan kita layan (Let’s not entertain them)’.
“So, has the PM and chairperson of BN changed his mind - does he now want all BN candidates to be vetted for corrupt practices?” said Teo, who is Serdang MP, in a statement.
Recently, MACC consultation and corruption prevention panel chief Johan Jaafar had proposed that the government make it compulsory for all political parties to submit their list of candidates to the commission for vetting to ensure that they were ‘clean’, besides avoiding any undesired allegations.
In a related development, Election Commission (EC) deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said new legislation has to be passed to implement the suggestion effectively.
If there is no law to enforce it, the vetting could only be done internally by the respective political parties, he told Malay daily Sinar Harian.
He said the EC is willing to work with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to ensure the integrity of the candidates if the political parties are serious in implementing the proposal.
However, Wan Ahmad pointed that out that although the vetting could produce “clean” candidates, it could be seen as restricting the democratic right to contest in elections.
“Although the salary of a prime minister or a minister is quite considerable, surely it isn’t so high that he can easily afford such excessive extravagance as spending RM80,000 on his birthday party and RM410,000 for his daughter’s engagement party.
“And in addition the luxury items flaunted by his wife Rosmah Mansor, who is known to possess a large number of Birkin handbags?” asked DAP’s deputy national organising secretary Teo Nie Ching in a statement today.
She recalled that Najib started his political career at 23 after inheriting the parliamentary seat held by his father, Abdul Razak Hussein, who was the second prime minister of Malaysia.
Teo added that Najib then went on to hold exclusively government positions, until he was appointed prime minister of Malaysia in 2009.
“I’m sure all Malaysians would be curious to know how he managed to accumulate so much wealth while being a full-time politician since his mid-20s,” she queried.
‘Taib’s immense wealth’
Additionally, Teo pointed out that Swiss-based NGO Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) had already issued a damning report making allegations on Taib’s immense wealth.
“It is the first report that describes in detail the business activities and personal wealth of 20 members of the Taib family in Malaysia, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United States and other countries.“Despite all the details in the report, our Prime Minister Najib has dismissed allegations that Taib had amassed billions of ringgit during his tenure as Sarawak chief minister for 31 years in September this year by making a most irresponsible comment: ‘There are all kinds of allegations, jangan kita layan (Let’s not entertain them)’.
“So, has the PM and chairperson of BN changed his mind - does he now want all BN candidates to be vetted for corrupt practices?” said Teo, who is Serdang MP, in a statement.
Recently, MACC consultation and corruption prevention panel chief Johan Jaafar had proposed that the government make it compulsory for all political parties to submit their list of candidates to the commission for vetting to ensure that they were ‘clean’, besides avoiding any undesired allegations.
In a related development, Election Commission (EC) deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said new legislation has to be passed to implement the suggestion effectively.
If there is no law to enforce it, the vetting could only be done internally by the respective political parties, he told Malay daily Sinar Harian.
He said the EC is willing to work with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to ensure the integrity of the candidates if the political parties are serious in implementing the proposal.
However, Wan Ahmad pointed that out that although the vetting could produce “clean” candidates, it could be seen as restricting the democratic right to contest in elections.
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