(Oct 27): Nothing will change even if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is replaced as his successor will likely have the same “corrupt” traits, says Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
Zaid, who is a former de facto law minister, said the opposition showed power was more important to them than honest government, and pointed to the Selangor government as an example.
He said the opposition was still cooperating with PAS in Selangor, even though the Islamist party “supports Najib all the way”.
“They want to rule Selangor at all costs,” said Zaid in his latest blog post today.
“Which brings us to this very important question: why change Najib at all when the chances of his successor, whether from Umno, PAS or PKR, will have the same traits, will steal from public coffers, will tolerate corrupt political allies; will enrich his friends and cronies, but will share some of the spoils with a very forgiving rakyat?
“Nothing much will change my friends,” he said.
He said DAP and PKR’s “table-thumping antics” in the Dewan Rakyat were just for show, and accused the two parties of being too afraid to shun PAS or boycott Najib and his ministers.
“Remaining in power is of overriding importance, so important that DAP and PKR are willing to sacrifice the principle of honest government,” said Zaid.
He added that leaders in PAS, Umno and PKR reflected the attitude of Malays in general, whom he claimed as a community had “high tolerance for corruption and abuse of power”.
“They talk about the huge debts incurred by 1MDB but they will not compile a list of Najib’s wrongdoings so that he can be prosecuted.
“They will not march the street to demand Najib be arrested. None of them, with the exception of Tun Dr Mahathir, dare to talk openly about Najib allegedly stealing money or being allegedly involved in money laundering.
“They dare not talk about Najib subverting the cause of justice by dismissing the former Attorney-General, and the PAC, or colluding with the new A-G, or effectively disbanding the 1MDB task force and facilitating the illegal transfer of officers from MACC to other departments.”
Zaid added that the Malays did not regard honesty as an important quality among leaders and that they were more concerned over whether politicians drank alcohol or attended Friday prayers.
“I am sure if a Malay leader from the opposition one day forms the federal government, he or she will also benefit from this cultural uniqueness not found anywhere in other communities in the civilised world – feeling blasé when it comes to abuse of power and taking money from the government.” – The Malaysian Insider