adminKUALA LUMPUR: The failure of alternative political parties to prove their integrity is the reason why a large portion of Malay voters are seen as ‘returning’ to supporting leaders linked to corruption scandals.
President of the Parti Perkasa Bumiputera Malaysia (PUTRA), Datuk Dr. Ibrahim Ali, said the situation did not mean that Malays supported corruption, but rather it was a manifestation of disappointment with the country’s leadership landscape as a whole.
According to him, voters are now in a phase of disgust because they see no significant difference between the old leaders and the new leaders who previously promised change.
Commenting on the victories of UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) in the previous series of State Elections (PRN) despite being squeezed by integrity issues, Ibrahim believed that the people were actually beginning to feel that all leaders had the same character.
“One reason is that the Malays have started to distrust their own Malay leaders. The people see, ‘Oh my God, elect whoever you like. It’s all corruption’.”
“When you don’t have a position, everyone talks about struggle. When you get a position, you become irresponsible. The people are fed up,” he said in the audio broadcast program, The Tiger Show Podcast , on Thursday.
Ibrahim added that the negative sentiment was not only directed at nationalist parties, but also involved parties that carried a religious image but failed to demonstrate clean governance after assuming power.
“It’s the same with those who carry the torch of Islam. They talk about Islam… but when they get power, it’s the same. So the people feel that whoever becomes the leader, not much will change,” said the political veteran.
As a long-term solution, Ibrahim challenged the current government to implement the National Economic Sabotage Act which provides for prison sentences of up to 50 years for major corruption offenders.
He stressed that as long as the legal system is not drastically tightened and new leaders do not set a different example, Malay voters will continue to be trapped in the cycle of electing existing leaders on the basis of ‘absence of a better option’.
-Agency
