A ‘corrupt practice' is an act of corruption, period. It is a crime in Malaysia. Yet, this Mohd Ali Rustam is allowed to remain an Umno member and chief minister of Malacca.'

On Ali Rustam barred from contesting

Mat Al-Jajawi:

So, Ali Rustam is barred from contesting in the Umno elections for the deputy president's post, but he is not ‘suspended' - meaning he can continue to be active in Umno.

This was decided based on ‘ethical principles' of Umno. He was accused of condoning ‘money politics' whereby he allowed his agent to distribute money to Umno delegates to vote for him in the upcoming Umno general assembly.

His two agents have also been suspended from Umno politics for three years. Giving money as inducement to voters is clearly a corrupt practice - be it in party elections or general elections.

A ‘corrupt practice' is an act of corruption, period; it is a crime in Malaysia, although I am no lawyer. Yet, this Ali Rustam is allowed to remain an Umno member and chief minister of Malacca.

The chief minister's office is a public office. It should be held by a person with the highest integrity, not merely one with ethics.

If my reading is right, Umno argues that giving money to induce members to vote for you in a party election is only unethical, but it is not illegal!

Meaning that it is allowed by law; it is only considered in bad taste!

So the man can continue to hold public office since he has not broken any law. Is this the way to go about reforming Umno? My, oh my.

So, Umno subscribes to two sets of laws - one for the party and the other for the rest of society. Umno considers party elections an internal matter that Malaysian laws cannot touch.

It is a matter that only the disciplinary committee of the party can have the final say.

Even though the matter is in reality corruption, the newly minted MACC has no jurisdiction - as no cows and cars are involved. Only the chief minister's post is in question.

It is Umno's prerogative to allow Ali to hold on to the post, since it has been Umno's right for the last 50 or so years?

Is this the way PM-anointed (not elected) Najib Razak is effecting change which he adroitly advocates for the BN?

If so, then the BN better prepare for the ‘shock and awe' that the rakyat will inflict on the coalition in the three upcoming by-elections and at the next general elections.

KSN:

I find Najib's logic really wanting. Ali Rustam cannot contest the Umno deputy president's post in Umno but he can continue as the chief minister of Malacca.

Money politics is just another name for corruption and a corrupt person has therefore been endorsed to to continue hold the CM's position!

How strange Umno politics and Umno's government.

What is the MACC doing about it? Waiting for instructions from we-all-know-who?

God save Malaysia.

On Committee's decision - more questions than answers

Yuvan: I agree with the writer's views that the Umno disciplinary committee's decision has raised more questions than answers.

Umno members who are affected and frustrated by the committee's decisions should lodge reports with the MACC.

Money politics is corruption. And any act of corruption must be thoroughly investigated by the law enforcement authorities.

If there is strong evidence of any wrong-doing, the person or persons involved must be brought to the courts to be charged and tried according to the law.

This will also give the affected persons an opportunity to defend themselves against any wrongful charges or unfair actions.

I believe the courts do not have much jurisdiction when it handles matters relating to political parties.

This is because members of political parties are bound by the constitution of the parties and are prevented from taking their ‘issues' to the courts.

But corruption, in whatever form, cannot be condoned and treated as an ‘internal matter' by political parties.

It must be remembered that the disciplinary committee consists of people appointed by the party leaders. In most cases there is a ‘conflict of interest' situation and the committee's decisions could be easily influenced.

It is in the best interests of the nation at large, therefore, that the law enforcement agencies are given the powers to deal with all matters of money politics, assuming of course that these agencies are fully independent and transparent(!)

On 'Why not join Pakatan, Ali Rustam?'

Vastu Raman:

Ali Rustam in Pakatan Rakyat? Oh god, please don't accept this corrupted politician. Learn from past mistakes.

He will join on first day and then on the third day will rejoin Umno after seeing money.

Stand firm and shoo him away if he wants to join any of PR's components.

PR has enough problems so don't invite more.

Rick: I, too, disagree strongly. The exhortation to all Pak Lah's men to join Pakatan Rakyat is simply ridiculous, and I have to assume, was a rhetorical question rather than a serious suggestion.

1. Pakatan does not need people who are patently corrupt, even by Umno standards.

2. Pakatan does not need ex-Umno xenophobes with their racist views and neo-Nazi tendencies.

3. Pakatan will never defeat Umno (and its BN rubber stamps) if people like Ali Rustam and his ilk were to join the party.

As a foreigner living in Malaysia, I am pleased to see genuine opposition and debate finally become part of the Malaysian political landscape.

However the lack of quality, integrity and common sense which presently reigns throughout Umno is a sad but an inevitable commentary on what 50 years of democratic castration have achieved in this country.

On Disciplinary decision: What does it mean?

Raymond: I think it is time to call a spade a spade and money politics what it really is - vote buying and bribery.

On Karpal charged with sedition

Peter Ooi: Another selective persecution I should say. From what little knowledge that I gather from reading on the Internet and main stream media, I guess that Karpal was acting legally in his intention to sue the sultan's decision.

I am not in a position to quote cases and the laws that say so. But I remember reading Dr Mahathir's statement on Karpal's action. He said that Karpal's action is right legally but not ethical.

Coming from the mouth of the architect of the removal of the rulers' immunity, Karpal cannot be wrong. Similarly Tengku Razaleigh in his blog did say that Karpal was not wrong.

He went on to blame Umno for Karpal's deed. With two Umno strongmen concurring on the legality of Karpal's action, how can the powers-that-be find his action seditious?

Just because there were so many reports against Karpal, the police deemed that Karpal was wrong in law.

If that is the case, what happened to the numerous reports on Pak Lah's opposition to the Terengganu ruler's choice of MB after the general elections?

And what is the outcome of police investigations into Ahmad Ismail's inflammatory remarks on the non-Malays? Is it still in the process?

What about the mobsters who threatened Karpal Singh in the Parliament? Still waiting for reports?

Looks like Umno supporters can do no wrong. All reports against them are apparently ‘unfounded'. But Malaysians do not forget easily anymore.

On Gobind suspended for a year

Maniam Sankar: Dear Gobind, may I suggest that you sue the Parliament speaker for allowing you to be dismissed without due process.

The case would show that all speakers, not only Perak's, can and should be sued as there seem to be so many of them not fully qualified.

Then, when our August courts rule on the speaker(s) we can rule the country by all the hakim as Parliament then will be fully subservient to these ‘upholders' of the law.

On Vell Paari admits spending lavishly on Sujatha

Maniam Sankar: I wish to nominate Mr Vell Paari for an employer of the year award and would request, through this letter, for other Malaysians to support me.

I would have given some cash to back the award but seeing his generosity in paying for houses and cars for his employees and his penchant for paying for his employees' siblings' education, I hesitate to insult him with my small contribution.

To generous people like him, surely just an award of this nature should suffice. With sufficient public support for my proposal, we could then ask the MIC's only minister to include this in guidelines for good employers.

Vell Paari has exceeded his fathers generosity (in handing cash to the many who turned up at his house regularly) by offering employment in addition to cash. His father should be proud.