Petikan daripada "Reforming Political Finacing in Malaysia" TI- Malaysia

The spectre of money politics in Malaysia

Dalam buku “Reforming Political Financing in Malaysia” Transparency International Malaysia – TI-M, 2010 Editor:  Josie M. Fernandez, halaman 65 – 69, kita temui pengakuan-pengakuan berikut:

“Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, (Umno president 1981-2003):

There can be no escaping from the fact that politics is money.  You see, without money you just cannot move. So, we have to raise funds. … In Umno, only certain people can raise funds, namely the President, the Chief Ministers.  People in Malaysia don’t need much persuasion.  They believe if they contribute, they might get some leverage.  So, when election comes, people just come … and the money taken is sometimes without receipt.  So, it depends on whether you’re going to be honest or not…

And then I appointed Tun Daim (Zainuddin) as Treasurer. Obviously, he has been collecting money for the party.  Again when he stepped down, I took over temporarily as Treasurer.  I didn’t get any cash.  There is property, building, things like that, but you cannot sell them. So, I called for an investigation to be carried out.  Finally we identified who was holding the money. We got quite a bit back.  So, when I stepped down, I handed the money to Datuk (seri, now Tun) Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi), RM 1.4 billion worth of property, shares and cash.  The cash alone amounts to more than RM 200 million.

During Tunku’s (Abdul Rahman) and Tun (Abdul) Razak’s (Hussein) time, they used to register the money, property in somebody’s name.  When the person died, their children said, ‘No, this is not UMNO’s money.  This is our money.’ So, during the time I was acting Treasurer, I got Nor Mohamed (Yakcop) to chase after these people and we identified the money…

In fact, I asked the other day on my blog about where the Petronas money has gone to.  I know this because I look at the accounts.  During my 22 years, the Government received about RM120 billion from Petronas, but you can see where it has gone to; there is KLCC, Putrajaya, construction and all that.  Now I know from inside sources that RM90 billion of the RM270 billion given by Petronas to the government between 2004 and 2009 is missing.

Practically everyone who was elected to the (UMNO) Supreme Council in 2009 won because they used money.  So you can say that UMNO central committee is actually made up of corrupt people.

In 2006, somebody told me that I should try to become a delegate (to the Umno general assembly).  So I stood (in my party division) to become of the delegates.  I lost.  Because Umno headquarters sent money to pay all those people not to vote fro me.  The division leader got RM 2,000, each member RM 200.  I was disgusted, you know? RM 200, I’m I so cheap?  How much can you buy with RM 200, how much food, how many plates of mee? You sell the power to determine the leader for RM 200?”

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s reply:

“I received what was mentioned by Tun Mahathir when I was the President and the Treasurer of UMNO.  When Dato’ Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi became the Treasurer of the party, I handed over to him everything that Tun Mahathir passed to me” *

*E-mail response to TI-M”

Pada halaman 68, kita temui:

“Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, (UMNO Treasurer 1971-1984):

All these hospitals cracking up, stadiums collapsing, are all the result of warlords contractors.  They say they need the money to fund these people and the party.  Maybe so.  Their followers always like to receive the largesse they distribute, but it is a pittance actually, from the money they have sucked from the syatem.  … It’s not always a result of corruption.  They could be due to bad design, etc, because there’s little margin for contractors to make because the top has been creamed off by these greedy politicians.  It breeds itself…

If you just become a warlord, and you don’t give money, they are not interested in you.  You want to amass funds, illegally, to feed your followers. …”

I will disclose now: MCA was giving a lot money to UMNO, with…”

II)  Penutup

Cukuplah sehingga di sini, buat sementara waktu.   Alangkah baiknya jika buku ini diterjemahkan ke bahasa Malaysia agar lebih ramai lagi yang dapat menikmatinya.

Dari pendedahan ini,  apakah yang dapat kita baca? 

Saya merasakan sakitnya perih-dan-payah,  penat-dan-lelahnya menyekolahkan anak-anak sehingga tamat dari pengajian tinggi. 

Pedih dan penat melihat bagaimana anak-anak kita dikejar oleh pelbagai hutang PTPTN dan lain-lain.

Bukankah kita semua sama-sama bertanggungjawab kerana membiarkan segala kebobrokan ini berleluasa? Lihatlah jumlah khazanah yang diperolehi daripada hasil bumi kita.

Kepada para penulis dan sasterawan sekalian, apakah tuan-tuan masih mahu berada di luar gelanggang dan menjadi pemerhati …? 

Untuk apa sebenarnya kita bersikap sedemikian?  Untuk memelihara dan menjaga baki-baki usia sebagai penumpang alam ini?

Jika ‘ya’, berhentilah menjadi penulis dan buanglah gelar sasterawan itu.  Rasanya lebih manis jika tuan bermain guli di halaman rumah bersama cucu dan cicit.

Wallahuaklam.