Ku Li started money politics?

this is an article by martin jalleh.

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Ku Li started money politics?

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s sympathy and empathy of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamed when the latter lost in the Kubang Pasu Umno division delegates contest recently is indeed commendable.

Razaleigh very bravely claimed that the powers-that-be had robbed Dr M of an ‘easy’ victory. He also said: “With the state of play, I suppose you cannot expect anything other than a loss for Mahathir. I think people were determined to stop him from being elected.”

“Otherwise how could a man – a leader for the Kubang Pasu division for more than 30 years who brought development (there), an ex-premier who created a name for the country – is suddenly not wanted by his own people.” added the Gua Musang MP.

In the run-up to the polls, there were allegations that the Umno leadership was employing underhand tactics and deploying government machinery (a common practice during Dr M’s time) to ensure Mahathir’s defeat. But this was repeatedly denied.

The 81-year-old former premier, who is currently embroiled in a squabble with his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, had also alleged that Kubang Pasu delegates were bribed to vote against him (Malaysiakini).

Dr M has had a long history of accusing others of practising money politics whilst pledging dramatically during his premiership to stop the scourge which he once described was “the worst kind of disease which can cause UMNO to rot from within”.

In fact, 15 years ago, Dr M had revealed during the opening of the UMNO General Assembly that “there was a former Finance Minister who promised the Selangor Government RM3 billion and a banking licence, if the state’s delegation to the party general assembly voted for him in the supreme council elections…”

“The Malay Chamber of Commerce in every state was given a finance company licence….On-the-spot grants, which are the prerogative of the Prime Minister and his deputy, were used by this minister to make himself popular.”

“Other powers given to the Finance Minister were used by this man to gain support for himself in the UMNO elections.” (Star, 9.11.91)

Again In 1994, during the UMNO Extraordinary General Assembly to curb money politics and corruption, Dr M had, whilst exerting his “firm leadership”, pointed out that the 1987 party elections was responsible for the emergence of money politics in the party.

(This was the year Tengku Razaleigh had mounted an unsuccessful challenge against Mahathir for the Umno presidency and lost by a mere 43 votes. He then formed the now defunct splinter party Semangat 46.)

Dr M had also declared then:

“The splinter group (Semangat 46) which is now outside the party is responsible for the spread of money politics in UMNO.

“They gave bribes at hotels, in toilets, they put UMNO members under some kind of house arrest and made promises to appoint many members to positions such as mentris besar, deputy ministers and ministers.

“They gave gifts and paid for holidays. As one of them put it: ‘RM20 million is cheap to be a prime minister”. I do not have to say who (said that), you can all guess.” (Star, 20.6.94)

My guess is that Dr M was referring to Tengku Razaleigh in both instances. No action was taken against the latter, who, when rejoining UMNO in 1996, made a touching plea to Dr M to continue serving the country — for his “firm leadership… was still needed under the present political and economic climate” (NST, 8.4.01).

In keeping with these can-opening and “de-worming” times would Tengku Razaleigh care to comment on Dr M’s peppering accusations so as to safeguard his own reputation as a gentleman and honest politician?

Martin Jalleh (19 Sept. 2006)