Individuals commit corruption, not parties, says Hamzah

 The Wawasan president says when a member is accused of being corrupt, the party should not be painted with the same brush.

Parti Wawasan Negara president Hamzah Zainudin says it is unfair to associate an entire party with corruption because of an individual’s wrongdoing.

PETALING JAYA:

Allegations of corruption involving individuals should not be used as grounds to reject cooperation between political parties, said Parti Wawasan Negara president Hamzah Zainudin.

This principle applies equally to the understanding between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN), he said.

In an interview with FMT, the PN deputy chairman said it was unfair to associate an entire party with corruption because of an individual’s wrongdoing.

“Corruption is not committed by a party, and it is parties that are entering into this cooperation. So, we should not speak as though parties are the same as those who commit corruption.

“Corruption is committed by individuals. The perception that a party commits corruption is unfair to any party,” he said when asked whether efforts to unite Malays through the BN-PN cooperation would be meaningless if the parties involved were linked to corruption.

The understanding between the two coalitions was forged for the Negeri Sembilan state election earlier this month, in which they won 25 of the 36 state seats, most of them in Malay-majority constituencies, enabling them to form the government.

However, the cooperation, which was built around a Malay-Muslim unity narrative, has also been dogged by allegations of corruption and abuse of power linked to BN during its time in the federal government up to 2018.

These include alleged wrongdoing involving 1MDB and, most recently, the declassified report of the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH), which was made public on July 29, about four years after it was completed.

The report revealed serious weaknesses in TH’s governance, investments and financial management, and recommended a major overhaul of the organisation.

Asked whether Malay unity would remain an important consideration heading into future elections, Hamzah said the current political landscape required national unity to be placed at the centre of the political agenda.

However, he said the country’s demographic realities had to be taken into account when shaping a political agenda that could be accepted by all groups.

The opposition leader said uniting the majority community, followed by the participation of other communities, could create a common national objective.

“If the majority is not united, it will be difficult for us to ensure that we achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation.

“If everyone has the same thinking, purpose and goal, that unity can create an agenda for the people, the country and a better future,” he said, adding that Wawasan was ready to act as a bridge between political parties.

“This is part of Wawasan’s agenda: to serve as a main pillar and play a leading role,” he added. - FMT