Cash for votes is corruption too, PAS deputy president reminds

In a long-winded tirade against graft, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man reminded that offering money for votes is a form of corruption.

The same also applies when one offers a bribe to escape a traffic summons, or when a bribe it offered to secure a contract.

“In other words, bribery is the taking of another person’s wealth through deceitful means, that is by receiving a gratification in exchange for a decision that benefits him or disadvantages a rival, to expedite or to delay something, or to obtain a position or job that is not consummate with the bribe giver’s qualifications from those in power.

“The meaning of graft is actually quite broad; it is not limited to financial issues but also the abuse of power that one is entrusted with.

“What is heart-wrenching is that although everyone knows that corruption is a crime, the people and the government allow this ‘virus’ to spread and become part and parcel of society,” he lamented in a statement today.

Tuan Ibrahim pointed out that graft is condemned in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 188 in the Quran, as well as authentic accounts of Prophet Muhammad’s sayings.

In particular, the Prophet was quoted to have said that those who offer bribes, those who receive it, and those who act as middlemen, would all be sent to hell.

“The only problem is that many would only pay lip service that they oppose graft, but when faced with it, it is treated as income (rezeki),” he said.

He said graft not only raised the cost of living, but also disrupted government administration and deterred investors. It also soiled Malaysia’s dignity and Islam’s image, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to brand those engaged in bribery as traitors.

He pledged that PAS would campaign using an ‘Islamic approach’ against corruption, as the crime was extremely dangerous for a country and its denizens.

“The work of combating corruption that is becoming worse in Malaysia is not an easy task. Nevertheless, it is not impossible as along as everyone can work together to achieve that goal,” he said. - Mkini