The five UMNO Vice Presidents, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tan Sri Muhammad Taib, Datuk Dr. Siti Zaharah Sulaiman (new Wanita UMNO chief) and Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (new UMNO Youth leader) had a 90-minute forum over RTM 1 last night, entitled “Gejala rasuah dalam politik”, which was open to questions from the public and telecast live.
What was most unforgettable about the forum by the five UMNO Vice Presidents last night was the way they reacted to an UMNO member from Bukit Mertajam who congratulated them on their election, expressed full support for the campaign against money politics and corruption, and asked them what should be the position of the six UMNO leaders who were disqualified from contesting in the UMNO Supreme Council elections.
There was first a stunned reaction among the five UMNO Vice Presidents to the question, an initial fumbling attempt by Najib to try to answer it and then the quick and unanimous decision by the five to ignore the question as irrelevant or as if it had not been asked!
This episode stood out most vividly in the 90-minute live telecast forum, as it spoke louder than words that the UMNO leadership has still to muster the seriousness and commitment necessary to declare an all-out war against money politics.
If the five UMNO Vice Presidents dare not take a stand as to the position of the six UMNO leaders who were disqualified from contesting in UMNO Supreme Council posts because of money politics or unethical practices, how could they convince UMNO members or Malaysians that they are serious in wanting to root out money politics?
It is true that these six UMNO leaders are not ordinary persons, for they are none other than the Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Mohd Shariff Omar, Penang Exco Member Datuk Abdul Latiff Mirasa, Perak State Exco Member Datuk Dr. Abdul Malek Hanafiah, Johore State Exco member Adam Hamid, Selangor Exco member Datuk Muhd Aini Taib and the Shah Alam Member of Parliament, Datuk Salamon Salamat.
There is actually a seventh UMNO leader involved, the Johore State Exco Member, Dr. Abdul Latiff Ahmad,who was disqualified from contesting in the UMNO Youth elections.
The question that is now in the minds not only of the over two million UMNO members but the people of Malaysia is how Datuk Shariff Omar and the other UMNO State Executive Councillors in Penang, Perak, Selangor and Johore could be allowed to continue in their government positions when they have been disqualified as candidates to contest in UMNO Supreme Council elections because of money politics and unethical practices?
Whether Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Mohd. Shariff Omar, and four other UMNO State Exco members in Penang, Perak, Selangor and Johore disqualified from contesting in UMNO Supreme Council elections resign from their government positions poses an immediate test whether UMNO is serious in declaring war against money politics.
Although the UMNO President and Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, had thought money politics and corruption had become so cancerous as to make it the sole theme of his UMNO Presidential address and even breaking down into tears at the end of his speech, there are no signs from the forum of the five UMNO Vice Presidents last night that the UMNO leadership is now prepared to take firm action against money politics apart from verbal assaults and talking about money politics.
Another questioner from Petaling Jaya, who also identified himself as an UMNO member, had suggested that UMNO should set up a body like the Anti-Corruption Agency inside the party to investigate and combat money politics, but this proposal was shot down by the UMNO Vice Presidents for a variety of reasons - for not being practical, that such a UMNO ACA body might not necessarily be independent, worry about creating a bureaucracy inside UMNO and finally the “soft” option that all is needed as a follow-up action against money politics in UMNO is “political re-education inside UMNO”.
UMNO leaders must now prove that they are prepared for firm follow-up action against money politics, not only in UMNO but in the entire political system, and that their support for Mahathir’s stand against money politics is not just a commitment merely to make verbal assaults on money politics.
(13/10/96)