'Stop dreaming, PAS': Zaid wants PM who fights graft, not 4D shops

 

Zaid Ibrahim has poured cold water on PAS to dissolve its “dream” of clinching the prized prime minister post should Perikatan Nasional win the next general election.

The former law minister said the nation needed a leader who is prepared to come down hard on corruption and is not confident that the Islamic party would be able to do so.

“They will only go after soft targets like 4D shops, massage parlours, beer, and Chinese pork shops. And non-lit cinemas,” he said in a social media post.

Zaid said while there are numerous PAS leaders who are qualified to be prime minister, they are either unsuitable or are not winnable candidates.

“PAS is a party that attracts only Malays in northern Perak, Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu. They don’t have support elsewhere. So it’s pointless for PAS to dream of becoming PM.

“Unless, of course, PAS is willing to come down hard on corrupt civil servants,” he added.

No appetite for widespread crackdown

Irrespective of who or which party claims the throne, Zaid said none of the current leaders are prepared to take on the cartels.

“Cartels on rice,, foreign workers, smuggling of cigarettes and people, cooking oil, migrant workers, and those who are issuing unnecessary APs (approved permits) for quick money.

“The person who deserves support as PM is the one who is willing to deal with real corruption. Not the corruption perception index.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attending the Finance Ministry civil service assembly in July 2023

“For that, we need to deal with corrupt civil servants. In our country, we have sent the PM and top politicians to jail, but have we done the same with the top-tier civil servants? No. We transferred them to another department.

“Stop the issuance of APs for the myriad of businesses and slave trade and charge the abusers in court instead of transferring them to another department,” he added.

Without mincing words, the former minister said Malaysia has too many “political eunuchs” who hamper the eradication of corruption.

“We have jihad on khalwat (close proximity) but not on corrupt administrators,” he added.

Leadership tussle?

Earlier, Malaysiakini reported PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin as stating that the Islamist party is more qualified to spearhead PN.

He also denied that PAS named the coalition’s chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin for the prime minister post.

This prompted Gerakan to remind PAS that Muhyiddin, who is also the president of Bersatu, is the most qualified candidate. - Mkini