Friday, February 14, 2025

PAS not in sync with Bersatu on snap elections, says Tuan Ibrahim

FMT:

 

PAS not in sync with

Bersatu on snap elections,

says Tuan Ibrahim

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PAS’s Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man says GE16 is unlikely to be held this year, but may run concurrently with state elections in Johor and Melaka.

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PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man says the rise in the cost of living is likely to dissuade the prime minister from calling for a snap general election this year.

PETALING JAYA
PAS and Bersatu do not appear to be in sync on preparations for the 16th general election (GE16), with the Islamist party saying it is unlikely to be held this year.

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man insisted that his party was prepared to go to the polls at any time, but with the general election only due in 2027, he says GE16 would more likely be called next year.

“It’s not impossible for GE16 to be called early so that it is held concurrently with state elections,” he said.

However, Tuan Ibrahim discounted the likelihood of it being held concurrently with the Sabah state election, due by December this year.




“Looking at the current scenario, with the rise in cost of living and the prime minister’s failure to address various current issues, I’m certain GE16 will not be called this year,” the Kubang Kerian MP told FMT.

“Maybe it will be held simultaneously with the Melaka and Johor state election.”

The Melaka government’s term ends in 2026. The state last held its election in November 2021, after four assemblymen withdrew their support for the then Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional government.

Johor held its state polls in March 2022 after then menteri besar Hasni Mohammad sought a fresh mandate from voters because of Barisan Nasional’s slim single-seat majority in the state assembly. The current state government’s term ends in 2027.

Last week, Bersatu secretary-general Azmin Ali said party president Muhyiddin Yassin had called for Bersatu’s machinery to be mobilised in preparation for a potential snap general election at the end of this year.

Azmin said Muhyiddin issued the directive after “very encouraging developments” following a meeting among the top leadership of Bersatu and PAS on Feb 5.

However, a source in PAS told FMT his party was unlikely to follow its ally’s lead by preparing for a snap election to be held by year-end.

The PAS leader who declined to be named said PAS was “not too hyped up” about GE16 taking place this year. He said the two PN components appeared to be working independently of each other.

A Bersatu source meanwhile said only a handful of leaders in the party were adamant on pushing for GE16 this year, with others taking the view that such a scenario was unlikely.

Ramasamy pans Cuepacs sec-gen for ‘rationalising’ graft

FMT:

 

Ramasamy pans Cuepacs

sec-gen for ‘rationalising’

graft

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The former Penang deputy chief minister says fear alone cannot be used as a defence for engaging in corruption.

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Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy said police reports should be filed if civil servants face intimidation.

PETALING JAYA
Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy today criticised the leader of the country’s largest civil servants’ union for his response to Malaysia’s score in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), accusing him of “rationalising” graft among government employees.

In a statement, Ramasamy said Cuepacs secretary-general Abdul Rahman Nordin had “presented a disturbing narrative” in saying that some civil servants were pressured to accept bribes.

Rahman had claimed that those who refused to accept bribes would receive bullets in the mail or see their families harassed. He also suggested that those who offered bribes were the root of the problem.

However, Ramasamy described such reasoning as flawed, saying the notion that fear justified corruption was unacceptable.

“Fear alone cannot be used as a defence for engaging in corruption,” he said.

“Rahman’s stance not only undermines Malaysia’s law enforcement system but also portrays the country as lacking order.”

Ramasamy said if civil servants faced intimidation, police reports should be filed immediately and that Cuepacs, as an umbrella organisation, should support its members in reporting such cases to the authorities.

He said that as a senior trade union figure, Rahman’s view of corruption would likely hinder Malaysia’s progress in improving its CPI ranking.

He also said that trade unions should hold Rahman accountable for “rationalising” corruption on grounds of threats and intimidation.

He said it was “regressive and damaging” to place more blame on those who bribe than on the recipients, and that Rahman had crossed a line as a trade union leader by offering “such a distorted perspective of corruption”.

“Leaders like him should champion integrity, not make excuses for corruption,” he said.

Malaysia recently reported an unchanged score of 50 and 57th-place ranking in the 2024 CPI.

Some civil servants forced to accept bribes, says Cuepacs

FMT:

 

Some civil servants forced

to accept bribes, says

Cuepacs

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Cuepacs secretary-general Abdul Rahman Nordin says they would receive bullets in the mail, or their families would be harassed, if they refused.

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Cuepacs urged MACC to hold more awareness programmes for civil servants, as some have ‘forgotten’ their duty to reject corruption. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA
Cuepacs has revealed that some civil servants have been forced to accept bribes because of pressure from certain parties.

Abdul Rahman Nordin, secretary-general of the umbrella body for civil service unions, said this was among the complaints Cuepacs received from public sector employees.

“The ones offering bribes are the root of the problem. For their own interests, they put pressure on others to take bribes, sometimes even forcing their hand to accept,” he told FMT.

“Some have come to us saying they faced threats. If they refused (the bribe), they would receive bullets in the mail or their families would be harassed.

“This is what we don’t want to happen, especially when these civil servants are just trying to do their jobs honestly.”

Rahman was commenting on Malaysia’s unchanged score of 50 and 57th-place ranking in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

On Tuesday, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim expressed disappointment over the stagnant score, attributing it to corruption cases involving various government agencies last year.

Hassan described Malaysia’s failure to improve its CPI ranking in Transparency International’s annual report as “disheartening”, especially since anti-corruption efforts are a key agenda of the unity government, alongside poverty eradication.

Last year, several officers from the customs department, the immigration department, the road transport department and the police were charged with corruption.

Rahman urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to hold more awareness programmes for civil servants, as some have “forgotten” their duty to reject corruption.

“Government departments with a record of corruption should be given more talks by MACC. The anti-graft agency’s efforts must be expanded … civil servants need to be reminded. Sometimes, when they go too long without hearing such reminders, they forget,” he said.

He expressed confidence that Malaysia’s ranking would improve this year, given the government’s ongoing anti-corruption efforts.

However, for this to happen, the government must continue enhancing governance and the administrative systems, he said.