Bersih: Rashid’s call shows need to nix political patronage

Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann suggests that funds for development be channelled through local authorities, ministries and other government agencies. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A PPBM leader’s recent demand for the award of government contracts has prompted Bersih 2.0 to renew a call for reforms aimed at stamping out the culture of patronage from Malaysian political life.

“There can be no justification for political parties or politicians using government resources to essentially buy votes,” said Bersih chairman Thomas Fann in a comment on PPBM vice-president Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman’s call on his party to use its position to channel government projects and other resources to division chiefs so they could win elections.

Speaking to FMT, Fann described Rashid’s speech as “outrageous” and said it was a wake-up call on the government to pursue institutional and legislative reforms “if we want to move away from the culture of patronage and corruption”.

He said funds needed to run constituency service centres could come from public donations but he added that they could also be dispensed to political parties from government coffers according to a fixed and transparent formula.

To enable such transparent allocations, he said, Pakatan Harapan should keep its promise to introduce a law on political financing.

“This should be the solution,” he said. “Political parties can then have funds without resorting to corruption.” - FMT