Umno’s Najib crusade obscuring essential internal reforms, says analyst

 

Umno has vowed that it will continue advocating for former prime minister Najib Razak’s release as long as he remains incarcerated.

PETALING JAYA: 

Umno’s continued pursuit of justice for former prime minister Najib Razak is causing the party to overlook critical internal reforms aimed at regaining the trust of Malay voters, says a political analyst.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi said this preoccupation with who is responsible for Najib’s plight does not address the public concerns about corruption and abuse of power in the party.

“A more effective response requires systemic reforms that ensure good governance practices are implemented, preventing similar scandals in the future,” he told FMT.

“This is why the performance and governance of the ministries led by Umno today need to be assessed.”

Awang Azman also said today’s Malay electorate has become increasingly wary of unfulfilled promises and seeks a genuine commitment to integrity and accountability.

“If reforms are merely cosmetic and do not involve structural changes (within Umno) or show serious efforts to address the root causes of corruption and abuse of power, voters will remain sceptical,” he said.

His views echo those of former law minister Zaid Ibrahim, who said Umno can only regain its dominance and relevance by “fighting for real reforms to make sure the institutions are strong enough to prevent another 1MDB”.

Zaid, who briefly represented Najib in his appeal to the Federal Court against his SRC International conviction two years ago, said Umno must work to uncover the root cause of the 1MDB scandal.

Najib is in the midst of another trial on four counts of abuse of power and 21 counts of money laundering involving RM2.28 billion in 1MDB funds deposited into his AmBank accounts between February 2011 and December 2014.

Last week, the High Court ordered him to enter his defence to all charges, ruling that the prosecution had successfully proved a prima facie case against him.

Umno had previously vowed that it will continue advocating for Najib as long as he remains incarcerated, with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi hinting at exploring alternatives to judicial processes to achieve Najib’s freedom.

Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani of ADA Southeast Asia said Umno can continue supporting Najib but should let the courts resolve the 1MDB scandal to give the country the closure it needs.

“The focus should be on nurturing new leaders and moving forward,” he said, adding that Umno needs to eliminate money politics and nepotism from within its ranks.

“The party must have confidence in its grassroots machinery and members to identify new leadership rather than relying on the past or hoping for Najib’s release to restore the party to its former glory.” -  FMT