The Pakatan Rakyat government should take a good look at themselves in the mirror.
Tun Daim Zainuddin said for years, Pakatan has been accusing the UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) government of corruption and political cronyism, something that they themselves are guilty of.
“If you were to read the pro-opposition or Pakatan-sympathetic media and social media, you will be bombarded and drilled constantly as if political cronyism only existed in Malaysia and in BN-controlled states, but not in the states controlled by Pakatan. However, we know the truth and reality goes far beyond that.
“The pro-opposition media and social media have relentlessly branded and vilified me as the one of the main architects of business-politics. Truth is, business and politics are like Siamese twins – inseparable and inevitable,” Daim said in his speech at the ‘An Exclusive Afternoon with YABhg Tun Daim Zainuddin’ event organised by the Malaysian Industrial Development Finance (MIDF) at Hotel Istana here yesterday.
Speaking in front of some 200-strong crowd, the 76-year-old former finance minister said in an ideal world, political parties should never get involved in business. But then, “who do you get funds from to run the party or contest in elections?”
He said, UMNO has been in business for a long time and from the first prime minister. “We need funds to run the party and to fight elections. Nothing is free. Either you do it in the open, as UMNO does now, or you use nominees as in the past.
“UMNO and other BN component parties are very open and public about this and hence they come under public scrutiny and all the brickbats in the printed and social media.”
However, if you flip the coin over, he said, what then about Pakatan and the conduct of the state governments controlled by them?
Daim said one of the earliest projects that the Pakatan Government implemented upon taking over Penang in 2008 was to Wi-Fi George Town. “Perhaps we can ask the Penang state government how the project was awarded and if it was based on competitive bidding, and whether all the original objectives or promises by both the state government and contractor have been met?”
Then, just before the 2013 general election (GE), said Daim, the same state government suddenly announced it was going ahead with an underground tunnel cum land swap through land reclamation with the developer.
“Was there any open tenders called for this project? How were the evaluations done and who are the parties privileged enough to be awarded this multi-billion dollar project?” he asked.
He also raised the ‘suddenly cosy’ relationship between the state government and housing developers, pointing out that there has been a surge and migration of Klang Valley-based developers “suddenly launching projects after projects in Penang”.
In Selangor, Daim said just before the 2013 GE, Pakatan had sought for the disclosures of the many ‘sweet-heart deals’ signed by the state government.
“There were allegations and counter allegations. Suddenly, now the silence is more deafening. What happened to all the promises of an expose?”
He noted that ever since Pakatan took over Selangor, hundreds of foot and reflexology centres mushroomed all over the state.
“You know what happens behind closed doors at most of these reflexology centres. This was all linked to certain personalities in the state government. I don’t need to elaborate or mention the link between these centres to the undesirable activities and also increase in crime rates in the state.”
However, as it would be spun, he said, it is the BN government or the police’s fault. “That maybe partly true but who provided or facilitated the fertile ground for this in the first place? Or are these businesses too small to be termed as political cronyism?” he questioned.
As for Kelantan, Daim said it was an open secret that the state government had been leasing out thousands of hectares of land to loggers and planters, with the more famous cases being those leased to DAP parliamentarians and cousins Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming of Perak.
“No political cronyism and nepotism? We know the modus operandi and in order to create an ‘Islamic and clean’ image for the PAS government, is to lease these land to a state-owned body or corporation for a nominal fee. Subsequently, the land are sub-leased to loggers and planters at another nominal fee but tagged with a huge political donation to the party, officials and party cadres.
Daim said Pakatan have always been quick to pick out the speck in BN or UMNO’s eye but always forget the log that is in front of their own eyes.
“Perhaps they have been clever in disguising or hiding their own cosy relationships with businessmen, developers and other tycoons, but does that mean they do not exist?”
He called for Malaysian citizens and voters to not be fooled into thinking that it is only political cronyism when it involves BN or UMNO related companies or supporters, but when it happens in Pakatan-controlled states or when it is at a smaller scale, it can be glossed over.
“Unfortunately, the social media has painted the BN and its component parties so black and despondent that when put in comparison to whatever the Pakatan state governments do; it is minute, small sweat and are easily glossed over.
“It’s easy to blame everything wrong on the previous BN government before Pakatan took over. But how long can Pakatan continue to use BN/UNMO as the scapegoat?” Daim asked.
“How long can you continue to swallow such indoctrination and falsehood?”
Najiah Najib
Thu Nov 06 2014
DAIM: Business and politics are like Siamese twins -- inseparable and inevitable.
Piala Thomas: Leong Jun Hao lakar kebangkitan, pastikan kemenangan Malaysia!
Leong Jun Hao melakar kebangkitan memastikan Malaysia memperoleh kemenangan ke atas wakil Hong Kong, Angus Ng Ka Long.
1MDB: Prosiding Najib julung kali dibuat pada Sabtu
Perbicaraan pertama dibuat pada hujung minggu ini berlangsung tepat jam 8.30 pagi, selepas bekas Perdana Menteri itu dibawa pihak berkuasa dengan menaiki kenderaan dari Jabatan Penjara.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Kerajaan Perpaduan akan dibebani isu semasa - Muhyiddin
PRK ini bakal jadi referendum untuk rakyat suarakan pandangan yang disifatkan Muhyiddin sebagai perasaan tidak puas hati.
Pelajar PhD USIM ambil ujian di sebalik runtuhan di Gaza
Pelajar PhD USIM warga Palestin nekad menjalani Ujian Kelayakan yang dijalankan secara dalam talian pada Jumaat walaupun berdepan risiko dibom tentera Zionis pada bila-bila masa.
UMNO dan BN dokong calon PH demi Kerajaan Perpaduan - Ahmad Zahid
Presiden UMNOsedar taktik pihak tertentu yang cuba melaga-lagakan parti pimpinannya dengan parti komponen Pakatan Harapan itu.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu saksikan pertandingan empat penjuru
Keempat-empat calon itu ialah Khairul Azhari Saut (PN), Pang Sock Tao (PH), Nyau Ke Xin (Bebas) dan Hafizah Zainudin (Parti Rakyat Malaysia).
3 maut, 5 parah nahas dua pacuan empat roda
Tiga maut, lima parah dalam kemalangan membabitkan dua kenderaan pacuan empat roda di Jalan Kuala Krai-Gua Musang kira-kira jam 12.30 pagi tadi.
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin di Paris kepung universiti
Penunjuk perasaan pro-Palestin mengepung bangunan dan kawasan hadpaan Universiti Sciences Po yang berprestij di Paris pada Jumaat.
Piala Thomas: Zii Jia pamer magis tarik perhatian ramai di Chengdu
Zii Jia merekodkan kemenangan ke atas Lee Cheuk Yiu dalam aksi yang mengambil masa 45 minit menghadirkan saat-saat terbaik dalam saingan pembukaan ini.
Youth All Girls raih gangsa di Amerika Syarikat
Pasukan sorak Malaysia Youth All Girls raih gangsa di The 2024 International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships (ICU JWCC) di Florida, Amerika Syarikat pada Khamis.
Bukan koman-koman, PRK Kemaman disifatkan ''battle of honour''
Pilihan Raya Kecil Kemaman disifatkan sebagai battle of honour yang menjadi medan penting untuk menilai dinamik dan landskap politik negara.
PRK Pelangai: Peluang PN, BN menang setara - Takiyuddin
Takiyuddin optimis PN mempunyai kelebihan, impak daripada strategi pecutan akhir yang dilakukan parti itu.
Kalau BN kalah PRK Pelangai, PH kena bertanggungjawab - Mohamad Sabu
Menjadi tanggungjawab jentera PH memastikan kemenangan calon BN di PRK Pelangai.
PRK Pelangai: Bapa ingatkan Amizar jangan tabur janji bulan bintang
"Usah berjanji bulan bintang semata-mata untuk meraih undi", itu pesan bapa kepada calon Barisan Nasional (BN) pada Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Pelangai Datuk Amizar Abu Adam.
BN hilang 27,000 undi Melayu pada PRK - Isham Jalil
BN kehilangan 27,000 undi Melayu pada Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Parlimen Pulai dan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Simpang Jeram yang berlangsung pada Sabtu.
PRK: PH mungkin hilang Simpang Jeram jika undi BN beralih - KJ
Khairy Jamaluddin tidak menolak kemungkinan Pakatan Harapan (PH) hilang kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Simpang Jeram.
'UMNO bertanding sendiri, itu pandangan peribadi saya' - Azalina
Azalina berkata, kenyataannya berkenaan UMNO boleh menimbang bertanding atas tiket sendiri pada pilihan raya selepas ini berbanding menggunakan logo BN adalah pandangan peribadinya.
Pasca PRN Selangor: Perang sudah tamat, kini masa berkhidmat untuk rakyat
Persoalan siapa memiliki 56 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dalam Pilihan Raya Negeri (PRN) Selangor telah berakhir dan mandat telah diberikan rakyat kepada pemimpin yang dipilih.
Saarani nafi keluar kenyataan ada perubahan 'besar' jika BN tidak diangkat MB Negeri Sembilan
Saarani berkata perbuatan mewujudkan kenyataan palsu itu langsung tidak membawa sebarang manfaat kepada negara serta rakyat.
Usaha PM bangunkan negara tidak harus ternoktah dengan keputusan PRN - Pemuda UMNO Kota Raja
Mohd Zaffarollah menegaskan biarpun UMNO mengalami kekalahan teruk, namun ia tidak seharusnya mengubah apa-apa keputusan menyertai Kerajaan Perpaduan.