Umno veteran Rais Yatim has told off a division chief who remarked that giving monetary gifts to branch leaders and delegates is not money politics if it is not in z party election year, for trying to hide behind technicalities.

“I want to tell him, don’t hide behind a blade of grass, we must stand behind the truth,” said Rais before launching into a pantun.

“Jangan dipanjat kelapa condong,
buahnya jatuh ke laman orang,
bumi dipijak langit dijunjung,
berdiri tegak bukannya lalang.”

(Do not climb a crooked palm tree,
its fruits fall into others’ yard,
where the land is trod the sky lies above
stand tall but be not like grass.)

“Prior to this I had said, this (his actions) makes Umno seem like a money-grubbing party. But if RM600,000 has been spent, if you don’t call it money politics I don’t know what else to say,” said Rais further.

The former minister spoke to reporters at a press conference in Gombak today.

Rais’ artistic pantun-laced comeback was in response to Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Md Yunos who yesterday denied that he was practicing money politics when he announced a gift of RM1,000 each to 646 branch chiefs and divisional delegates on Aug 31.

If it is not in election year, it is not money politics replied. Jamal to Rais’ Sept 3 accusation that the payments Jamal announced at the Sungai Besar Umno divisional AGM were tantamount to money politics that blackens the Malay party’s name.

The money which Jamal claimed were from donation from his ‘friends’ was earmarked to bring the branch leaders to Dubai for a learning trip, but since the trip had to be cancelled, he decided to share the largesse with them through direct cash payments instead.

Jamal was lambasted for his apparent practice of political payouts, with some like Rais directly labelling it as money politics, although the Sungai Besar Umno chief denied all the allegations.