Mahathir gives assurance on not taking side when combating corruption
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has given the assurance that local officials will take action against Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) members or leaders who are awarded government contracts inappropriately.
The Bersatu chairman said action would be taken against those people no matter what their ranks were since it was not the practice of the new government led by Pakatan Harapan when it took over the government from the Barisan Nasional seven months ago.
“We are against corruption. Some of our people are very capable. They have been discriminated during the last government. So I think now they have the chance, even in the tender of whatever contracts. So if they get a contract, don’t assume that it is because they are from the party.
“They are equally capable and should be willing because now, there will be no discrimination as practised in the last government. The right channel is the tender process. We can’t be assured of anything but there is the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission),” he told the media after concluding the second Bersatu annual general assembly which kicked-off on Friday at Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said if they did anything wrong, the MACC would descend upon them, no matter what their rankings were.
The contract issue was raised by Bersatu Armada (Youth) chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman who warned all party members against adopting the culture of seeking business contracts and positions in the party.
However, Syed Saddiq’s call was disagreed to by Bersatu Vice-President Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman who felt that all division heads must get the necessary opportunities so that they could financially afford to defend their party positions especially in facing the general election. With regard to deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz’s proposal for a one-man-one-vote system during party election scheduled next year, Dr Mahathir said this matter would be decided at the supreme leadership council soon.
“That is his proposal, we will have to consider it, of course in the usual manner,” he added.
On government efforts to assist Felda settlers after the imposition of the export ban on palm oil to European Union (EU) countries as raised by the delegates at the assembly, he said Malaysia could not concentrate on only one type of agriculture in future.
“We find that we usually focus on one type of agriculture only. If we plant rubber, we only grow rubber trees, oil palm, oil palm only. When prices drop, we feel sad, (but) when the price rises, we are happy.
“But in the future we want that every asset, whether small or not, must have a plot so that they can grow other plants that are needed every day. Thus, if the price falls, they can earn income from vegetables, fruits and so on,” he said.
Asked on the proposal by Ab Rashid that the Federal Development Department was revived in the states controlled by the opposition, Dr Mahathir said this would be studied in detail using methods that did not contravene the law.