The system of patronage and money politics has led to corruption and tainted the government.
VIDEO INSIDE
KUALA LUMPUR: The scourge of money politics and corruption in Malaysia have been highlighted in a video news feature by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
The video traces the corruption in the country to an earlier administration, who reserved contracts and business for Malays at the expense of the others and the nation.
“Those who wanted contracts and business from the government soon paid bribes to politicians to secure them.”
The system, said the WSJ, is the crux of the problem. It has led to Umno, the ruling party, losing popularity and fighting an increasingly losing battle to stay in power.
“The system of patronage and money politics has led to corruption of politicians and civil servants and tainted the government.”
Initially the system led to many Malays throwing their support behind Umno as the ruling party but they have since realised that something is not quite right with such a system which hurts them even more than it hurts others.
Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, while acknowledging that many countries suffer a certain degree of corruption, said “But what’s going on in Malaysia (under current Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak) is blatant and open.”
“He (Najib) is saying that he can’t win elections without money.”
Mahathir said that he supported Najib initially in the belief that he would do a good job in office like his father (Tun Abdul Razak).
Najib himself was quoted as claiming that his father was his mentor and he was inspired by him. In a speech before visiting US President Obama, the Prime Minister was seen in the video as stressing that he introduced a “slew of reforms”. The video pointed out that he quickly backtracked on the so-called reforms and went back to the old habits of the system.
Another section in the video showed Najib telling voters during a by-election in Sibu, Sarawak, in 2010: “I want to make a deal with you. You help me, I help you.”
This open offer of bribes, said the video, was investigated by the Election Commission (EC), and dismissed on the grounds that “not everybody in the audience was a voter”. Najib’s offer of RM3 million to a flood-devastated village was never delivered.
One section in the video sees community leaders being sent to Mecca on pilgrimage by the Najib-initiated 1MDB. The community leaders returned from Mecca and urged their people to continue to vote for Najib and Umno.
The video points out that 1MDB is involved in a billion-ringgit controversy, and catching the public eye just before the RM2.6 billion political “donation” erupted. “Najib has denied any wrongdoing,” said the WSJ.
Former political secretary to Najib, Oh Ei Sun from Sabah, implied that he left the government when he realised that Najib’s 1Malaysia policy was falling apart. “The reality is that you need money for politics in Malaysia.”
“That’s the mentality in the country. It’s not about performance now, people first.”
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