KUALA LUMPUR – Simpang Renggam MP Maszlee Malik revealed that he was once approached by a businessman who wanted to sponsor his political career with a huge amount of cash.
Saying that the incident happened when he was the education minister, Maszlee said it shocked him, as he called it an example of “politics of patronage” that is worsening in the country.
“I remember a businessman came to my office carrying a bag of cash and claimed that it was not corruption but that he wanted to fund my political career.
“But I drove him away. I told him that I entered politics not to get rich but to fight for some important things,” he said at the Forum on Corruption and Hypocrisy in Malay-Islamic Politics organised by Sinar Harian tonight.
The forum moderated by Sayed Munawar Sayed Mustar was also attended by Amanah strategy director Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Barisan Nasional secretary-general Datuk Seri Zambry Kadir, and Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
The forum also discussed a new book by academician Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Mohd Kamal Hassan entitled Corruption and Hypocricy in Malay-Muslim Politics.
Maszlee, who joined PKR last month, said that society now has no sense of shame, thus cultivating corruption in many things, especially in political matters.
“Some people talk about integrity, don’t be greedy, but their children are billionaires.
“We need to stop the political culture of patronage. If we want to move forward, change all this. Otherwise, what we are discussing tonight is useless,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zambry said that Umno as a party over seven decades old was undergoing a process of reform internally and externally in its relations with other political parties.
The former Perak menteri besar said this was proven in the Melaka election where Umno fielded more than 80% new faces and expressed a high commitment in its manifesto to see reforms in the state administration.
“In fact, Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi advised all Umno members not to celebrate Melaka’s victory excessively to avoid being self-forgetful and arrogant.” – The Vibes, December 16, 2021
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