Pas and Bersatu urged not to exploit anti-corruption rally for political gain

SHAH ALAM - The Secretariat of People Against Corruption (SRBR) has warned Pas Youth and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) not to display any party-related imagery during the People Against Corruption Rally in the capital this Saturday.

SRBR stated that it would take immediate action to remove anyone attempting to use the rally for political purposes.

“Our message to Pas Youth and Bersatu’s Armada is clear: We invite you to join the rally as fellow Malaysians, regardless of party affiliation or political beliefs.

"However, we urge you not to bring party logos, slogans, names or imagery. This rally belongs to the people and is not a platform for political parties to capitalise on,” the SRBR said in a statement on Thursday.

The People Against Corruption Rally, organised by SRBR, will begin at 2.30pm in front of Sogo before marching to Dataran Merdeka.

SRBR Secretary Zaim Zulkifli clarified that the rally is not funded by any political party, whether from the government or Opposition.

The secretariat operates independently, with its focus on advocating for the people.

The actions of several NGOs, such as Bersih and PSM, to organise an anti-corruption rally on Jan 25 have received a less-than-positive response from the Madani Government.

In response, SRBR urged Pas not to exploit the rally for political gain.

“The reason we call Pas hypocritical on the issue of anti-corruption is clear. On Jan 6, key Pas leaders such as Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (Secretary-General), Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar (Vice President) and Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad (Kepala Batas MP) gathered in support of Datuk Seri Najib Razak during the trial of the royal addendum case.

"This was an attempt to express solidarity with the former Prime Minister, who is implicated in corruption involving billions of ringgit, under the guise of injustice,” the statement stated.

SRBR also pointed to Pas’s former representative, Che Alias Hamid who was found guilty of bribery during the 15th General Election (GE15).

The case involved vote-buying through aid schemes like i-Belia and i-Siswa.

“This case demonstrates that some Pas leaders are involved in corruption for personal gain. Furthermore, Pas refused to declare assets in 2019, citing the argument that ‘Islam forbids asset declaration.’

"As the Opposition, Pas has also failed to propose anti-corruption solutions or institutional reforms to the Madani Government and has shown incompetence in tackling corruption in Malaysia,” SRBR added.