TI-M: Najib breaks integrity pledge

Despite signing the Election Integrity Pledge, the caretaker prime minister spearheads the violation of the pledges, Tranparency International Malaysia observes.

PETALING JAYA: Caretaker prime minister Najib Tun Razak has violated the Election Integrity pledge he signed in February to promote fair play and fight corruption in the upcoming polls, said Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) today.

The global corruption watchdog said that Malaysia’s political parties and their candidates were breaching the principles of fair elections by giving out money, gifts, vouchers and making all sorts of promises such as perpetual aid, loans, increments, bonuses, cheap homes and free water.

But while TI-M did not specify the guilty political parties, it zeroed in on Najib’s actions since parliament was dissolved and labelled his antics as a direct breach of his earlier vow as the Barisan Nasional chairman.

“In signing the Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) Election Integrity Pledge, Najib declared that he would observe principles of truth, integrity, ethical conduct and accountability, including not accepting or giving bribes or being involved in any way in corrupt practices,” said TI-M secretary-general Josie M Fernandez in a statement today.

But she pointed out that on April 8, Najib expanded the 1Malaysia Privilege Card to 725,009 civil service retirees.

On April 9, the BN chief announced the construction of a RM400 million complex in Perak.

And today, he asked civil servants to help him win the election when launching an affordable housing project exclusively for Putrajaya residents, Fernandez pointed out.

“Najib had said to ensure transparency and integrity of the election process, he, as the BN chairman, had signed the election integrity pledge to make sure the 13th general election will go through a clean and fair election process,” recalled Fernandez.

But she stressed that giving out money and gifts during the election period was an abuse of power for personal gain and, therefore, a corruption.

And even though the opposition parties had not signed the Election Integrity pledge, she said that they too must be held accountable for observing the principles of integrity in their election campaigns.

MACC, EC fail to act

“Caretaker governments and candidates are breaking the Election Offences Act 1954, Section 10 which states all these gifts, loans, offers, promises, pronouncements are to procure votes.

“These stand at odds with the caretaker prime minister’s commitments to uphold the principles of integrity and accountability during [Election 2013],” she said.

“That money is used by political parties and candidates to win votes is no secret. It has been said that election expenses are like an iceberg, only the tip is visible.

“But even the tip is not visible to the Election Commission and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission who have failed to act on money politics,” she observed.

She said that TI-M was calling on all caretaker governments in both the state and federal levels to stop the cash, gifts, vouchers, food and promises to procure votes.