Perkasa condemns widespread corruption - spares only PAS

Summary

• Perkasa president slams culture of corruption in Malaysia, claiming it spans political leaders and enforcement agencies.

• However, Syed Hasan praises PAS despite Islamist party’s controversies linked to Najib, saying - “You never hear of PAS leaders being brought to court for corruption cases involving tens of millions.”

Malay rights group Perkasa has decried the entrenchment of corruption as a "mandatory practice” deeply rooted not only among political leaders but also within the ranks of government officials in Malaysia.

Despite this bleak reality, Perkasa president Syed Hasan Syed Ali commended PAS for standing firm and resisting the pervasive culture of corruption.

"You never hear of PAS leaders being brought to court for corruption cases involving tens of millions. These days, it's common to hear not just tens, but hundreds of millions involved," he added, according to Harakah.

Syed Hasan’s endorsement comes despite mounting criticism of PAS for aligning itself with tainted figures, including former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, who is in prison for his role in the 1MDB mega scandal.

The MACC also investigated PAS over allegations of receiving RM90 million from the Najib-led Umno for the 2018 general election. However, no convictions were made in connection with the matter.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who had previously blamed the non-bumiputera as the root of corruption in this nation, dismissed the allegation as slander.

No place for the honest

In other areas, the Perkasa president pointed out that if an officer refused to take bribes, he or she would be transferred to another department or in other words, put in cold storage.

“If you're a municipal council enforcement officer and you're honest and refuse to be involved in corruption, you'll be removed.

"This is how it works in Malaysia. At the enforcement level, regardless of the department, you won’t have a place. It’s hard to get promoted. Even the worsening economic issues faced by the bumiputera are caused by corruption," he said.

Syed Hasan said even to become a leader in Malaysia, the person must join hands with the corrupt.

“If the president (of a party) is corrupt, everyone below will follow. Those who engage in corruption will be labelled as part of the gang.

"If someone refuses to be corrupt, they will be opposed, dropped, and accused of all sorts of things. These people have the audacity to approve planning permissions and project initiations. Everything is in their hands.

"They know that when redevelopment projects are carried out, residents - who are entirely Malay - will only get 30 percent of the land area, while the remaining 70 percent will be turned into new condominiums," he said in reference to the disputed Kampung Sungai Baru redevelopment project in the city centre.

Perkasa, together with other Malay and Islamic NGOs, will hold a rally in Kuala Lumpur on May 24 to protest the government’s alleged failure to defend the interests of Malay-Muslims in Malaysia.

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