Former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam is correct when he said that party-hopping elected representatives are wooed by money politics and are making a mockery of politics in the country.
He said it is no longer about politics or ideology, only the ideology of money where the rewards now were no longer small like in the past.
Tebrau MP Steven Choong, who defected from PKR to support Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, finally admitted that Muhyiddin promised him an official position that would provide him with a platform to rebuild the nation’s economy. Is this not an inducement for Steven Choong to jump?
This reminds us of the notorious audio recording of Muhyiddin last year, offering political posts and positions in Government Linked Corporation(GLCs) in exchange for political support.
UMNO Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah revealed that he rejected an offer by the Prime Minister to be Petronas Chairman because it was unconstitutional. On the other hand, UMNO Arau MP Shahidan Kassim did not reject his recent appointment as chairperson of Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA).
Will Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission(MACC) demonstrate its independence, impartiality, professionalism and adherence to the rule of law by investigating the Prime Minister?
At the very least MACC should openly state that party hopping due to money politics or in exchange for favours is illegal and a corrupt practice.
However, reality does not support Muhyiddin’s rhetoric. In the 2020 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index(CPI) Report, Malaysia dropped 6 rungs to 57th position, compared to No. 62 in 2017, 61 in 2018 and 51 in 2019.
Clearly the lack of emphasis towards open tenders and transparency, appointment of politicians to replace professionals in Government Linked Corporation(GLC) in exchange for political support, withdrawal of criminal charges against political leaders favouring the PN government, using government positions to buy political support as well as selective investigation and prosecution of politicians were identified as a primary cause.
As MACC appears indifferent to the drop in Malaysian rankings in the Transparency International CPI, it will not be surprising if Malaysia’s CPI rankings further declines this year.
Lim Guan Eng
Secretary General of DAP