‘Leadership by Example’ is back
This time the slogan is to fight corruption, says Dr Mahathir
PUTRAJAYA: The slogan “Kepimpinan Melalui Teladan” (Leadership by Example) is making a comeback – this time to fight corruption with a vengeance.
This tagline was conceptualised in 1983 by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to instil exemplary leadership values for civil servants and the people to emulate.
“Since Pakatan took over the administration, we have worked hard to fight corruption as it is one of our (election) pledges,” said the Prime Minister.
Yesterday, he led his entire Cabinet, Pakatan Harapan’s lawmakers and their senior officers to be briefed on governance, integrity and anticorruption.
This was to ensure they are all clear on the policy of asset declaration, acceptance of gifts, as well as management and administration of allocations for MPs.
In the special session, Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull gave the lawmakers a rundown on the common offences committed by members of the administration that could land them in hot water.
Asked if he had done enough to prevent those under his leadership from committing corruption and abuse of power, Dr Mahathir responded: “I can’t know whether I have done enough until I find them breaking the law. If they don’t, that means I have done enough.”
Dr Mahathir said that corruption could only be successfully curbed if the top leaders in the Government – right from the prime minister to ministers and elected representatives – were truly free from corrupt practices.
“Good example must be shown by the leadership. If the prime minister, deputy prime minister and ministers are not involved in corruption, the chances of reducing or eliminating corruption will be better.
“If we ask those under us to fight corruption (but we ourselves don’t), then corruption will continue to happen,” he said yesterday.
On Monday, Dr Mahathir announced that the prime minister and deputy prime minister would now be members of the administration and this meant that they too, would have to declare their assets, just like what was required of ministers and deputy ministers.
To ensure that every Pakatan lawmakers does not succumb to negative practices, all of its MPs will also be required to declare their assets, as well as gifts they receive.
He also said the Government was mulling whether to make it compulsory for family members of Pakatan-elected representatives to declare their assets too.
“This involves a lot of people, including family members of elect ed representatives. We are considering how much we can reveal to the public because it may affect their privacy,” he said when asked whether the declaration would be made public.
On the challenges in fighting corruption, he said there was a big difference when he was premier between 1981 and 2003, and now.
“It wasn’t so obvious and blatant then. When I came in, the government machinery was clean. But now, we find that a large number of them (civil servants) are involved.
“We need to do screening first before we can act because if we sack those we suspect, there will be no machinery to work and carry out our directives,” he said.
Dr Mahathir, who celebrated his 93rd birthday yesterday, was also asked on his birthday wish.
His brief reply was for the press to help the government to overcome corruption.