RM600 million bonanza to Umno divisions announced at Umno general assembly pre-council meeting last month most blatant example of political corruption which has damaged Abdullah’s moral authority to lead fight against corruption

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Speech at the Bintulu DAP Dinner
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Bintulu, Saturday) : The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told Bloomberg last week that he probably won't hold an election before 2008, giving himself more time to battle corruption and muster support.

Even if the next general election is held in 2008, nobody expects it to go beyond April 2008 because of the Anwar factor where the former deputy prime minister will be restored his civil and political rights to stand for elective office.

This means that it is a difference of a few months whether the next general election is held at the end of next year of before April 2008. However, it should be noted that Abdullah has not categorically and definitively ruled out the possibility of general election at the end of next year.

Whatever the reason for the timing of the next general election, the battle against corruption would be the lowliest or even no consideration whatsoever for two reasons:

• Firstly, the dismal lack of results on the anti-corruption front in the past three years; and
• Secondly, the RM600 million bonanza to Umno divisions announced at the Umno general assembly pre-council meeting last month which is the most blatant example of political corruption which has gravely damaged Abdullah’s moral authority to lead a fight against corruption.

The instant allocation of RM3 million for minor contract works at the disposal of each Umno division in the country, amounting to some RM600 million for the Umno divisions in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah (excluding Sarawak as there is no Umno in the state) in order to “buy” Umno delegate support at the Umno general assembly is nothing less than political corruption of the worst kind.

It is also highly objectionable on many grounds, including:

• A contempt for Cabinet, which should be the first body to approve such a RM600 million allocation of public funds;
• A contempt of Parliament which was debating the 2007 Budget, when Parliament should be the final authority for the approval of all public expenditures (Parliament was kept completely in the dark);
• Blatant discrimination against the other Barisan Nasional component parties, as why should the RM3 million be allocated only to Umno divisions;
• Blatant discrimination against the state of Sarawak which does not get a single sen from such “largesse”;
• Blatant discrimination against ordinary Malaysian citizens at the misuse of public funds for Umno divisional heads.

It is sad and tragic for the nation that a Prime Minister who won the last general election with an unprecedented 91% of parliamentary seats on the pledge to root out corruption can be guilty of such political corruption, demonstrating that he has lost the ability to differentiate between public funds and political party purposes and between right and wrong.

(16/12/2006)