The 13th general election will be the “dirtiest” ever as corrupt Umno leaders and its supporters will do anything possible to cling to power, says former US ambassador John R Malott.

NONE In a commentary article in the Wall Street Journal today, Malott (left) wrote that although Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak now enjoys a political boost from Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II acquittal, his administration is widely seen as corrupt.

“The public sees corruption on the rise and feels that Umno supporters increasingly believe making money from government contracts is business as usual.

“Many Malaysians now use the word ‘kleptocracy’ to describe their ruling class,” wrote Malott, who was US ambassador to Malaysia between 1995 and 1998.

Malott said public perception was that no Umno leader wanted to crack down on such practices, most recently seen in the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal.

“This perception is compounded by the fact that Najib has remained largely silent on the latest scandal,” he said.

Mahathir-style tactics may come back

He warns that Umno fears losing power and will not go down without a fight because its supporters in the bureaucracy, media and business fear losing access to the government gravy train.

“Because of the high stakes, those who benefit from corruption will make an all-out effort to keep the opposition from coming to power.

“A return to Mahathir-style strong-arm tactics should not be ruled out,” he warns. “All this will make the coming election the most important in Malaysia’s history - and also its dirtiest.”

NONE Thus Malott urged the international community to hold Najib ( left ) to his promise of political and electoral reform, adding that Anwar’s acquittal was only the beginning of the country’s fight against political abuse and corruption.

He noted that thus far, none of the proposals by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform have been formally carried out.

He warned that should Umno fumble on electoral reform, it would squander its newly-earned goodwill and make opposition Pakatan Rakyat stronger.