PETALING JAYA: Anti-graft watchdog Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4) voiced concern today over money politics in the country after the move by four Bersatu MPs to declare their support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
In a statement, C4 said money politics posed a danger to the country’s democratic principles and process.
“If money continues to determine the course of Malaysian politics, governance will continue to be seen as a means of resource accumulation and control as opposed to actually protecting the welfare of Malaysian citizens,” it said.
The MPs – Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang) and Zahari Kechik (Jeli) – had agreed to back the ruling government in exchange for constituency allocations, sparking a backlash from the opposition which accused Anwar of attempting to buy support.
Iskandar Dzulkarnain and Suhaili were subsequently suspended for four and six years, respectively, after Bersatu’s disciplinary board ruled that they had breached the party constitution.
Yesterday, Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal identified two persons whom he claimed had enticed opposition MPs into supporting Anwar’s leadership.
In its statement, C4 also noted the impact of money politics on voter decision-making, saying political choices might be swayed by the ability of parties and candidates to secure funding for their constituencies.
Considerations on how these funds could genuinely benefit the communities in the constituency might be overlooked, it added.
“Elections then become merely about where money flows and which MPs are most likely to secure funds through forging loyalties,” it said.
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