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EVALUATE FOR YOURSELVES: Voting opposition into power would not unequivocally solve the problem of corruption in the country, says political analyst
KUALA LUMPUR: MALAYSIANS should not be misled by the idea that voting the opposition into power would unequivocally solve the problem of corruption in the country.
Political analyst Dr Chandra Muzaffar said yesterday other Asian countries had tried, but ultimately failed, to eradicate bribery by toppling the government of the day.
"Other democracies in Asia have tried (to combat corruption). In India, the Indian National Congress was ousted through the ballot box in the 1970s on an anti-corruption, anti-authoritarianism wave.
"The people discovered soon afterwards that the successor government was incapable of curbing the scourge," he told the New Straits Times.
Chandra added that in Japan, the people there too had failed to curb the venality of its government via the democratic process.
"The Japanese came to realise that getting rid of the Liberal Democratic Party and replacing it with some other party had not helped to minimise the prevalence of graft which is embedded in the incestuous relationship between business and legislative politics."
Chandra, who is also the chairman of 1Malaysia Foundation, pointed out a change in regime alone would not result in the eradication of corruption.
"Regime change revolves around political actors. Political actors are focused on power. And power, as the ancient adage goes, corrupts," the political scientist warned.
Chandra said Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was an observable example as it was struggling to cope with accusations of corruption, despite claiming itself to be a vociferous opponent of graft.
"The (federal) opposition, which is in power in four states, is now forced to grapple with shady contracts, zoning irregularities and questionable land deals. Their claim to integrity is being challenged by segments of their own constituencies."
Chandra noted that the opposition alliance was unfit to project itself as a champion of probity as it was being led by a "Machiavellian Chameleon" whose record on issues of ethics was tarnished.
"When opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in power -- an overly ambitious cabinet minister -- he was allegedly involved in cronyism on a massive scale."
Chandra quoted renowned journalist and author Ian Steward, who said: "Anwar's followers -- as witnessed by myself and other journalists -- were handing out packets of money to acquire the support of Umno division leaders in his 1993 campaign against (Tun) Ghafar Baba.
"Anwar himself was winning over influential people in the party by promising positions in the administration he would form when he took over from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad."
Although his supporters insisted that Anwar was a changed man after his incarceration from 1998 to 2004, Chandra maintained the PKR de facto leader had yet to prove himself to be a person of moral integrity.
"How does one explain his Sept 16 saga in 2008 which was a blatant attempt to topple a legitimately elected government through the backdoor, employing allegedly unethical tactics?" he asked.
Chandra added that Anwar had yet to explain the 2010 electoral fraud within PKR or his approach to the recent defections of two Barisan Nasional leaders in Sabah to PR.
"What this shows is that Anwar and PR can lay no claim to the moral high ground in the battle against corruption.
"Voters should understand this. They should evaluate for what they are and not be mesmerised by their words."
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