The former prime minister described Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's invitation to the Australian government as a waste of time.
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that there was no need for a foreign country to observe the Malaysian general election.
“No need for it. It’s a waste of time,” said Abdullah, who served from 2003 till early 2009.
The Kepala Batas MP said this at a press conference after the launch of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs’ (Ideas) interim research report on Anti-Corruption Initiatives in Malaysia.
Two weeks ago, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim invited the Australian government to observe the upcoming general election, claiming the electoral list was marred with irregularities.
The former deputy prime minister promptly received brickbats from the Election Commission and several Barisan Nasional leaders, who said that the electoral body has carried out many improvements to the voting system.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr had also turned down Anwar’s invitation, saying Australia would not interfere with Malaysia’s electoral system.
On the upcoming Umno annual general assembly, Abdullah urged Umno members to show a united front and stop any infighting in the party.
“I hope the assembly will focus on bringing positive changes to the party so that we will become a capable organisation with integrity,” he said.
“Umno is a party that has brought a lot of progress to the nation. It is important for us to reinvent ourselves at all times,” he added.
Meanwhile, Abdullah said that a sound judiciary system was vital to combat the scourge of corruption.
He also said good governance was a key factor in eradicating graft in the country.
“That’s why we should continue to improve the judicial system and promote reforms in our governance.”
However, he stopped short of saying the judiciary was not independent, stating that the judicial system has improved since 2008.
“That was the time I initiated three important reforms in the country; namely, converting the Anti-Corruption Agency [ACA] into the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission [MACC], setting up the Judicial Appointment Commission (JAC) and establishing the Integrity Commission of Malaysia,” said Abdullah.
On why he did not give the MACC the power to prosecute, Abdullah said, “It was too drastic of a change. I’m a cautious man; from the feedback I got from government officials, they said MACC has improved a lot.”
KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that there was no need for a foreign country to observe the Malaysian general election.“No need for it. It’s a waste of time,” said Abdullah, who served from 2003 till early 2009.
The Kepala Batas MP said this at a press conference after the launch of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs’ (Ideas) interim research report on Anti-Corruption Initiatives in Malaysia.
Two weeks ago, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim invited the Australian government to observe the upcoming general election, claiming the electoral list was marred with irregularities.
The former deputy prime minister promptly received brickbats from the Election Commission and several Barisan Nasional leaders, who said that the electoral body has carried out many improvements to the voting system.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr had also turned down Anwar’s invitation, saying Australia would not interfere with Malaysia’s electoral system.
On the upcoming Umno annual general assembly, Abdullah urged Umno members to show a united front and stop any infighting in the party.
“I hope the assembly will focus on bringing positive changes to the party so that we will become a capable organisation with integrity,” he said.
“Umno is a party that has brought a lot of progress to the nation. It is important for us to reinvent ourselves at all times,” he added.
Meanwhile, Abdullah said that a sound judiciary system was vital to combat the scourge of corruption.
He also said good governance was a key factor in eradicating graft in the country.
“That’s why we should continue to improve the judicial system and promote reforms in our governance.”
However, he stopped short of saying the judiciary was not independent, stating that the judicial system has improved since 2008.
“That was the time I initiated three important reforms in the country; namely, converting the Anti-Corruption Agency [ACA] into the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission [MACC], setting up the Judicial Appointment Commission (JAC) and establishing the Integrity Commission of Malaysia,” said Abdullah.
On why he did not give the MACC the power to prosecute, Abdullah said, “It was too drastic of a change. I’m a cautious man; from the feedback I got from government officials, they said MACC has improved a lot.”
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