Hopping elected reps wooed by money politics, says ex-DPM Musa Hitam

 

Former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam said money politics has become rampant as the next general election looms. (Bernama pic)

KUALA LUMPUR: Party-hopping elected representatives are making a mockery of politics in the country and this is related to money politics, according to former deputy prime minister Musa Hitam.

He said money politics is an ideology that gains momentum whenever any general election looms, adding that the issue had gotten out of control now.

“It’s not about politics or ideology. It could be the ideology of money. That is possibly what is happening now,” he told Mingguan Malaysia in an interview.

He added that the rewards now were no longer small like in the past.

“This will happen more often when a general election is near.”

Comparing the current political situation to that of “musical chairs”, Musa expressed his disgust, saying elected representatives who switch sides were making a mockery of national politics.

“I’m getting bored over the whole situation. I once said that what politicians are doing is as if they are ‘main masak-masak’ (children playing at cooking) in politics.

“They are fooling around with politics, for their own interest, for their own survival,’’ Musa told the newspaper.

On Umno’s future, Musa said one way of revitalising itself was to take a principled stand and ask the leaders facing criminal charges to step aside until they are proven innocent.

“Only then can Umno regain its public trust. Only with that can the public respect us,” the report quoted him as saying.

Musa was alluding to its former president Najib Razak, who was found guilty of seven charges, involving money laundering and abuse of power.

Others include current president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is facing 47 charges related to corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering concerning funds belonging to a foundation, as well as former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Mansor, who was found guilty of a RM2 million graft charge.

Musa, who resigned as deputy prime minister under Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1986, said there is currently serious infighting in Umno.

He said this had resulted in the party having three factions now.

“One comprises ‘puritans’ who believe in the true spirit of the party, the second is made up of the current top leaders and the third consists of capable leaders who have not been given the opportunity to step forward.”

Musa said another way to revitalise the party to regain public trust is to allow young and capable leaders to take over its leadership. - FMT