Dr M blamed for graft epidemic

Malaysia has been plagued with corruption for the past 24 years, said PAS central committee member Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin.

SHAH ALAM: A PAS leader has blamed Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration for the corruption plaguing the nation now.

“Who is the government of the day? Our country has been plagued with corruption for the past 24 years,” said party central committee member Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin.

Speaking at a forum entitled “Corruption: Civilization Destructor” here, the former Perak menteri besar said Malaysia had been suffering with corruption for the past 24 years.

Prior to the Mahathir administration, which governed for 22 years, Nizar said that corruption in the country was not as serious.

The forum was jointly organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian, Karangkraf Peduli Jujur and Bernama Radio 24.

Apart from Nizar, Umno senator Ezam Mohd Nor, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Abu Kassim Mohammed and Ary Ginajar Agustian who is the founder of ESQ Leadership Centre in Indonesia were panellists.

Nizar also claimed that the Kelantan state government, under PAS leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, was corruption-free.

However, Ezam countered this.

“It is not just the federal government but also the state governments. We have to see the issue as a whole,” he said.

The former PKR leader said the problem of corruption was never resolved because it was often politicised.

He also suggested that the MACC prosecute offenders using laws apart from the MACC Act such as the Income Tax Act because of the “high level for burden of proof’”.

Meanwhile, Nizar also reiterated the accusation that Barisan Nasional’s (BN) coup of Perak in 2009 was a result of corruption.

“A man by the name of Imran pretended to be a contractor and brought in the theree Chinese women. This was said in open court. Hence it is a conspiracy,” he said.

He was referring to the trial of former PKR reps turned independent – Behrang assemblyman Osman Jailu and Changkat Jering assemblyman Radzi Jamaluddin.