Act upon corrupt practices, should not just be a political rhetoric
SHAH ALAM - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim needs to act immediately to deal with corruption cases in the country, the main pillar of his fight thus far.
Universiti Malaya (UM) political analyst Associate Prof Dr Awang Azman Awang Pawi said if Anwar did not act immediately, the people would think it was just political rhetoric to improve his political image.
This was because the people in the country had been dealing with cases of leakage and corruption for a long time, especially when it involved politicians.
“Anwar often highlights the issue of corrupt practices and political leaders’ incompetence in the issue of unloading the nation’s wealth.
“Now, he is still highlighting this issue in his official meetings, but there has not been bold or tangible action,” he told Sinar Harian.
He said the people would lose faith in him if there were still no action against corruption cases.
“To gain the people’s confidence, Anwar needs to act decisively against corruption and don’t tolerate such activities.
“Follow-up action needs to be taken immediately by him because as the Prime Minister, he needs to ensure that this practice is curbed and that every cases revealed get immediate and full action,” he said.
Anwar at the Munajat Ambang Tahun Baru event at Putra Mosque, Putrajaya, on Sunday insisted that the government under his leadership wanted to bring various changes to the country.
He was reported to have said that his commitment was to curb corruption which was said to still be perpetrated by a small group in the government.
He would also take strict action against the small group because it could tarnish the image of the Unity Government.
Anwar also asserted that he would end the corrupt practice that he claimed used political leadership and position in government as “an opportunity to unload wealth.”
Meanwhile, Awang Pawi believed that Anwar could implement that approach through immediate action via the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), and the police.
“This agency, for example, needs to be more proactive to ensure that investigations and decisive actions can be taken, including remand arrests and court proceedings.
“Postponing decisive action will cause the people’s confidence in the government to be affected and the popularity of the unity government will decrease,” he said.
