YOURSAY 'Mahathir, poetic justice. Those who sow corruption in the first place now reap the poison of corruption.'

Dr M: Undeserving in Umno won because of money

Tehachapi: If Kedah MB Mukhriz Mahathir had won the recent Umno elections and secured his vice-presidency, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad would have kept his silence and even sung a different tune about the greatness of Umno, its vision and its venerable racial culture and values.

Alas, he knows that Umno members are well-conditioned to be beholden to the wishes of the president and since his son was not the chosen one, he lost.

This loss should have been graciously received, since Mahathir knows that he was the chief architect of Malaysia's rampant corrupt practices.

It is meaningless for Mahathir to lament about pervasive corruption in every aspect of Malaysian life because he should realise that he is the undisputed father of the corrupt political culture in Malaysia.

He sacked the judges, destroyed checks and balances, silenced the media, cowed the critics, arrested and imprisoned the opposition and toughened the Official Secrets Act to shield government conduct from public scrutiny. Now, he is tasting the fruit of his own wickedness.

Ferdtan: Many people who did not deserve to win in the recent Umno elections emerged victorious because of the money they splashed, claims Mahathir.

So what are you going to do about it? Why are you whining? Is it because your son had lost in the contest for the vice-president's post?

Even with the electoral changes in Umno, with more delegates as voters running into thousands, it is very much business as usual. Money politics is not going away, only now it may cost more as more delegates are involved.

All the deep-pocket candidates have to do is to take care of the warlords, and the rest of members in their divisions will follow their bosses as to their choice of candidates.

If Mahathir is sincere in wanting to stop money politics he should lodge a report with the police or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

If you think no action will be taken by them, then join the opposition to put MACC under the control of Parliament and not under PM's Department. Then I shall be the first person who will salute you for your sincere effort to wipe out corruption in party politics.

If not, there is no point in talking and complaining.

Anonymous #70881335: Mahathir, you have the means to fight money politics and corruption and leakages when you were in power, and even now, you wield considerable power and influence. But did you?

Only when your son became a victim of money politics (of which I am not convinced), you cried foul. There are no tears for you.

You could have the greatest PM Malaysia ever had you set Malaysia on the right path - Malaysia first, self second. But sadly, you did not. You put self over country. Now you see the results.

Swipenter: The man who is infamous for money politics and responsible for cultivating a culture of corruption and non-accountability is crying crocodile tears over mediocrity, corruption and dirty money in politics. What a shameless hypocrite.

Mushiro: The best way to fight corruption is to make MACC independent and have it report to Parliament. But even Mahathir will not suggest this as he too will be nabbed.

Mahathir only wants all those who used money politics against his son to be caught, but other Umno people involved in corruption should be free.

Toffeesturn: Mahathir, I fully agree with you but I must tell you at the same time that you fathered this corruption.

This has become ingrained in Umno, so do not pretend you don't know about it. The only way to get this country straight and working again is to purge Umno entirely and begin anew.

Clever Voter: The culture of corruption is now deeply rooted in not only BN and its component parties, but also throughout the government machinery.

Such perception is hard to remove unless the entire regime and its agents are removed. Not easy, it will probably take a couple of generations.

Ipohcrite: If the undeserving won because of money, they are just following the Umno tradition, where money politics is not corruption but an internal party matter. Such steadfastness to loyalty in Umno should be lauded.

Mahathir, you yourself have said umpteen times that Umno is the best, has no corruption and that the nation is better off with your crop of calibre politicians. So stop being a sour grape just because your son didn't win the VP's post.

Cala: As everyone knows it, culture evolves through time. If the culture of Umno is one of money politics, who then should be held accountable if not the leader who held the reign of power for 22 years?

And why did he put the blame of corruption on the long period of approval when awarding contracts or approving projects? I would have thought the correct panacea is to reduce "transaction costs" across board.

How can he do it when there is a plethora of laws calculated to add frictions to the transactions? Do we have free press? Can a civil servant divulge government secrets? Are policies implemented fairly?

Onyourtoes: Mahathir, please stop ranting because your son lost. Your feeling of frustration is nothing when compared to millions of Malaysians who have to live under your moronic rule for years.

Why suddenly talked about corruption in Umno election as if it has never happened before? Have you spared a thought on the recent Budget? What about indiscriminate withdrawal of subsidies but allowing monopolies and cronies to continue to thrive?

Ib: I would be most embarrassed if I have a father that comes out in the newspaper to make excuses for me or worse accuse my fellow party members of cheating after I lose the party contest.

What is this man doing to his own son? The wife should stop him if she wants the son to have some self respect.

Mohamad Abdul Malik: Mahathir is saying that Mukhriz lost because he did not splashed money around. On the other hand, the winners splashed money around. In short, the winners or at least some of them were corrupt, according to Mahathir.

So now Umno is lead by corrupt leaders? What is going to happen to Malaysia then? But is it really a secret among the rakyat?

Myrights: What is so surprising about this? The whole GE13 was about money and leaders using taxpayers' money like it was their grandfathers'. In addition, your son has the audacity to threaten the Chinese with no development if they don't vote for him.

If this is not about money, bribery and blackmail, then what is? You planted this corrupt culture, now you reap it, and you complain now because your son lost?

I can only hope that Umno and your whole family is decimated by the next election. The young people who represent the new voters in the upcoming election are smarter now and BN will soon be history.

Newday: Poetic justice. Those who sow corruption in the first place now reaps the poison of corruption. The father sowed, the son reaps.

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