Accountability? Umno not going to own up to 'mistakes'

 

YOURSAY | “Ethical governance must be deliberately taught, practised, and embedded in public institutions.”

Khairy says Umno must own up to Tabung Haji governance weaknesses, not sweep them aside

Hrrmph: Is there a necessity for Umno to change? Their voters don't seem to care that Umno politicians have been convicted, charged, or suspected of corruption or, at the very least, of incompetence that has caused jaw-dropping losses of money for the nation, over and over again.

Race and the possibility of getting crumbs from the gravy train trumps everything else, to the point that these voters are willing to sacrifice their future and their descendants' well-being.

GreenFalcon2290: Ah yes, indeed, Khairy Jamaluddin, so admission of responsibility is associated with humdrum matters like elections.

No "mistake" (interesting word, that) till the win is confirmed; now okay to issue a one-liner.

Clearly the nation must agree with Khairy, a person with a sterling record of probity over decades.

1MDB a mistake? Ships a mistake? No, I won't go any further; people will get the drift, I'm sure, Mr putative prime minister - you appear superbly well equipped for that role in the future.

GP2025: As it is, Umno is not taking responsibility. It’s unlikely it will, as it means a loss of votes.

So, the strategy should be to counter Umno. The only way to do this is to call for a general election.

Before the general election, the government needs to put in place a proper system for the selection of the prime minister with the support of the majority of the MPs so that it is the people’s choice.

EmEmKay: Former Umno youth chief Khairy is right that Umno must own up to the governance weaknesses exposed by the Tabung Haji royal commission of inquiry.

But before Umno lectures anyone about accountability, it must first apologise for the 1MDB scandal - the single biggest act of plunder in this country's history.

Najib Abdul Razak, the former prime minister from Umno's own ranks, was charged, tried and convicted in multiple landmark trials connected to the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal.

He was found guilty of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering for siphoning hundreds of millions of dollars into his personal bank accounts.

The courts have spoken - not once, but repeatedly.

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Yet to this day, Umno has never issued a formal apology to the rakyat whose money was stolen and whose institutions were looted.

Instead, some within the party continue to defend and champion the convicted former prime minister - marching for him, cheering for him, treating a man found guilty of the nation's worst financial crime as a hero.

If Umno genuinely wants to turn over a new leaf on governance, accountability must begin with the biggest scandal of all, not just the latest RCI report.

Owning up to Tabung Haji's weaknesses while sweeping 1MDB under the carpet is selective accountability - and the rakyat see it for what it is.

Exile: The recent disclosures of losses at Tabung Haji, followed by renewed rounds of blame among Umno leaders, highlight a deeper problem than financial mismanagement.

They point to the need for a national institution dedicated to teaching good governance, public ethics, and leadership.

Malaysia would benefit from a school of public leadership and governance where aspiring politicians, civil servants, corporate leaders, and community activists - including Malay Malaysians, who remain the country's largest political constituency - can study integrity, financial accountability, constitutional government, conflict-of-interest rules, and transparent decision-making.

There is much to learn from countries such as Singapore, New Zealand, Denmark, and the Nordic states, where strong institutions and ethical public administration have become national assets.

Religious teachings alone have not been sufficient to prevent corruption or abuses of power.

Ethical governance must be deliberately taught, practised, and embedded in public institutions.

A modern Malaysia requires not only technical competence but also a culture of public service founded on integrity, accountability, and stewardship of the nation's resources.

Mat M Din: The RCI had concluded that Tabung Haji had concealed the true state of its financial position for years, reporting a profit of RM3.4 billion in 2017 when a proper accounting system had recorded a loss of RM1.4 billion.

It is, therefore, not considered proper for its officials who managed Tabung Haji to be granted high dividends during that period.

Therefore, they are duty-bound to return the dividends that they received to Tabung Haji intact, as they were not rightly entitled to them.

To retain the improper income for family use is not right and wise.

It is better to return the money to its rightful sources to safeguard from divine retribution.

World Citizen: Looks like Pakatan Harapan did not fully capitalise on Umno’s Tabung Haji scandal during the Negeri Sembilan state election campaign period.

Umno just got away with it.

This is one of the areas where Harapan is weak and lacking. They are not as savvy as Umno.

If the situation was the other way round, Umno would have gone to town with it.

The bottom line is the leadership of PKR and DAP must change if they want to survive the 16th general election. Get some young and effective leaders to take over the party who will not have loose mouths like Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a weak and condescending leader like DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke.

Harmonious Harmony: Brother, it is easy to preach from outside. Please share your achievements whilst in Umno. - FMT