KUALA LUMPUR – Malay DAP leaders have poured scorn on Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement associating graft with non-Muslims, reminding the PAS president that Malaysia’s corruption index has worsened since the Islamist party became part of the government.
In a joint statement today, three DAP central executive committee (CEC) members said the cause of corruption should instead be blamed on the lack of political will among the nation’s leaders to eradicate the problem from the root.
“To make matters worse, the leaders themselves are embroiled in corruption and power abuse. This is not a question of non-Muslim or non-Bumiputera as claimed by Hadi. The responsibility to combat graft crosses racial and religious lines.
“Rather than blaming a race, it’s better for Hadi to answer this first: why has Malaysia’s corruption perception index ranking worsened despite PAS being in the government since 2020?”
The statement was issued by Young Syefura Othman, Syahredzan Johan, and Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali – three of the four Malay representatives in DAP’s CEC.
In the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2021 released earlier this year, Malaysia was ranked 62nd with a score of 48, from among 180 countries, dropping five spots compared to 2020’s ranking.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Hadi appeared to have blamed corruption on the non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras.
The Marang MP said efforts to combat corruption must be done holistically to ensure it does not become an epidemic if the root of the problem is not treated comprehensively.
In particular, he said action must be taken against those who cause corruption by pursuing wealth through illegal means.
“It is among them, who control the country’s economy and use it to destroy politics, the administration and the judiciary. In fact, they are also the biggest group damaging the country’s politics and economy, the majority of them being non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras,” Hadi said.
The DAP trio, however, reminded Hadi that Islamic teaching rejects corruption regardless of race or skin colour and that the religion denounces both the giver and receiver of graft and places them both in hell.
“Does Hadi know that the CPI ranks Denmark, Finland and New Zealand among the best countries to combat corruption? In fact, our neighbour Singapore is also far ahead of us.
“These countries are majority non-Muslims, but their earnestness to fight graft far exceeds ours.”
The DAP leaders also noted that there are various factors that lead to corruption, including lack of awareness and enforcement effort, administrative weaknesses, conflict of interest, political interference and absolute power.
In a separate statement, fellow DAP CEC committee member Lee Chin Chen said Hadi’s accusation is very serious and could undermine harmony, describing his comment as racist, rude and prejudicial towards the non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras.
“Has Hadi forgotten that PAS has accepted the support of non-Bumiputera parties to be in the government?” he asked, ostensibly referring to Barisan Nasional components MCA and MIC.
“Do the other races only mean something to PAS when they want to be in power? And when they are, these groups no longer mean anything to them?”
Lee also questioned why none of PAS’ allies in the government, including those in BN, has issued any statement condemning Hadi’s comments. – The Vibes, August 21, 2022
