For the eighth time since the last General Elections, we face a by-election. The Opposition has now won seven by-elections in a row in peninsular Malaysia. Umno has contested six and lost all six. By now no one can doubt that the public dissatisfaction with BN that led to the loss of five states and the loss of its 2/3rds majority has not been reversed.
A cornerstone of that dissatisfaction is the perception that those in power are corrupt, and arrogant in their corruption. Hence when our leaders fielded a disbarred lawyer with a proven record of financial dishonesty, and then went on to brush aside all objections to their choice, they confirmed that perception. They sent the message that UMNO considers itself above common standards of decency.
Now one young Umno leader has been quoted as saying that the only criterion for the selection of candidates is that they can win. This is precisely the kind of short term thinking that keeps Umno and BN on the wrong side of history, going in reverse while the Malaysian public presses ahead with demands for greater accountability and transparency.
Mindful of the signal sent by the voters of Permatang Pasir and all the elections since March 8, the leadership should now be especially careful in selecting our candidate for Bagan Pinang. Beyond winning and losing political battles, the party leadership should step back and think about how their choice of candidate reflects upon the party and ultimately upon their own integrity. Nothing says more about what we stand for and who we are than the kinds of leaders we champion.
If Umno continues to field tainted candidates, the public might justly conclude that it would be better for the the country that Umno lost. In our now dangerously divided society, it is important not just that elections be won, but that they be won with honour and by honourable individuals; that is to say, in a way that inspires the public’s trust in our institutions and enlarges our common sense of justice. Only then can the results of elections unite rather than divide us. That is our larger challenge.
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah
Member of Parliament
Gua Musang
Press Statement issued on September 18, 2009
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