LANGKAWI – Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has alleged that his former party Umno won in various constituencies during the recent Johor election because it gave money to voters.
The 96-year-old said that the candidates from opposition outfit Pejuang, which he now chairs, on the other hand, lost their deposits as they refused or could not afford to provide token payments.
“We were unlike other parties who used money to buy votes. When our (Pejuang) candidates called their voters via telephone, they were asked: how much can Pejuang afford to give?
“The voters said that Umno gave them RM200 each,” he claimed. “I ask you, how long can RM200 last? In the old days, they only gave three cigarette sticks.”
He claimed that the culture of accepting cash handouts was perpetuated by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who, he said, likes to give out items for free.
“I ask you, until when can we afford to do such things?” Dr Mahathir, who is the MP for Langkawi, said when visiting his constituency today.
“I think Najib may have spoiled some people by dishing out handouts until they now come to accept it at every turn.”
In the election on March 12, Umno won 33 of the 40 seats secured by Barisan Nasional in the 56-seat state assembly.
Pejuang, meanwhile, lost in every one of the 42 constituencies it contested.
Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister for a total of about 24 years, said that the party has no intention as of now to work with Bersatu or PAS because each of them wants to be the dominating force in any political pact.
“Each want to do things their own way,” he said.
“Pejuang fights for the Malays and we have capabilities. This is our struggle… other parties may opt to use money to buy votes, but Pejuang cannot, although the party now wants to contest as many seats as possible.”
He also berated those who run in elections because they want to become ministers. “We’d rather want ministers who join the government to serve, not to make money,” he said.
“We also cannot accept those who buy votes or those who accept bribes. Those are offences (that are) criminal in nature.”
Dr Mahathir said that Pejuang is now open towards working with parties that are sincere in their struggle for the people, race, and religion.
He urged the Langkawi voters to vote for the Pejuang candidate here in the next general election, as the party has proven that it can develop the island from a backwater village to an international tourist destination.
“We have proven we could develop the island compared to Langkawi 60 years ago. We have transformed it into a duty-free paradise. Now up to 500,000 tourists visit the island annually.”
Reflecting on the past, he said that Bangladeshi workers come in droves to Malaysia because they know that they can earn money if they work hard.
“It was the same with the Chinese. When they first came here, they worked in jobs that were dangerous, dirty, and toiled in the sun. Now they are rich,” he said, adding that Malays, in contrast, wait, hoping to get “free money”. “I think Najib has spoiled them,” he said.
“When we are born, we start poor. How did we get our wealth? Simply by working hard on our own or taking jobs in companies or the government.
“We should not spend beyond our means, and we also need to save so we can afford to buy laptops,” he said, referring to an ongoing controversy about a B40 UiTM student who was scolded by his professor for not having a laptop. – The Vibes, March 30, 2022
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