The Malaysian Council of Former Elected Representatives (Mubarak) says Malaysians shouldn't be easily blinded by emotions so as to allow nepotism by the opposition to thrive as seen in the current Permatang Pauh by-election campaign.

“Who is Wan Azizah Wan Ismail? I see only a recycled candidate,” said Abdul Aziz Rahman, president of Mubarak today.

Wan Azizah is PKR and Pakatan Rakyat's candidate for the parliamentary by-election on May 7. She is the wife of PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who is currently serving a five-year jail sentence for sodomy.

 

Abdul Aziz ( left ) claimed Permatang Pauh has become a family political base for Anwar.

“It is as though he's saying 'Darling, you take over tonight and tomorrow I will take it back. ” he said. He was speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur to announce a pension hike for the former elected representatives,

“I feel sad that Malaysians have allowed this to happen in front of them, to be so easily blinded by their emotional ties to a family and a person.

“Enough is enough. We should put a stop to husband and wife taking turns to stand in by-elections.

“She is not even known for performing her duty,” Abdul Aziz further charged.

He explained the political nepotism in Anwar's family couldn't be compared with the 'father and son pairs' in Umno referring to cabinet minister Hishamuddin Hussien Onn, Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir and the current prime minister Najib Razak whose fathers were all former prime ministers of the country.

 

'They want more pension'

This was because, said Abdul Aziz, the sons of the three former prime ministers rose with the party's struggle and came up after their fathers were no longer on the scene.

"Take for example Abdul Razak and Najib, Hussein Onn and Hishamuddin, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Mukhriz. Mukhriz wasn't in picture when Mahathir was there (in power)," he pointed out

But in opposition, he added, they acted as if they could take turns to be fielded as candidates for state and parliament seats.

Abdul Aziz alleged that DAP leaders and Wan Azizah ( right ) purposely hopped to different states to become state assemblyperson just for the sake of getting an extra pension.

"State assemblypersons' pension are given by the state, while parliamentarian  pensions are given by Parliament). DAP has benefited the most by the state pensions," he said.

"Look at (DAP supremo) Lim Kit Siang and (DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng. They get state pensions from both Penang and Melaka," he said.

"I think, this is therefore a design by them to get more pension," the amused former Temerloh MP said, adding: "Wan Azizah is also doing the same thing.”

Holding two seats

Kit Siang  was Melaka's Kubu state assemblyperson in 1974 and was later elected Penang's Kampong Kolam state assemblyperson in 1986. He is now Gelang Patah MP.

Guan Eng holds both the Ayer Puteh state seat and the Bagan parliamentary seat in Penang.

Wan Azizah, meanwhile, was former Permatang Pauh MP from 1998 to 2008 besides being elected Selangor's Kajang assemblyperson in the by-election there last year.

Mubarak, the organisation which represents 820 former BN representatives, earlier announced that the government had agreed to increase elected representatives pension quantums as passed by Parliament recently.

The Members of Parliament (Remuneration) (Amendment) Bill entitles MPs and senators an allowance of RM16,000 and RM11,000 respectively.

Those who have only served three years will be entitled to a partial pension when they reach 50 years of age.

Parliamentarians and senators who have served a full term of six years are entitled to a full pension.