NO END TO FUED, CORRUPTION AND ABUSE IN UMNO

Two candidates out of the race, and will there be more in line before the start of the UMNO general assembly? The two candidates i.e. Ali Rustam is confirmed out of the race, and Norza who was recently charged for corruption in Temerloh, Pahang will only know his status as a candidate this Monday. Both claimed innocent of the charges brought before them.

Surprisingly too, two names have now appeared in a local media for alleged corrupt practise and abuse.

Firstly, the People's Movement Against Corruption (Gerak) has handed over to MACC documents of proof, alleging that the former International Trade & Industry Minister, Rafidah Aziz had in 1993 abused her position as the minister then by awarding special bumiputra shares to a relative of hers.This must be a 'revised version' of her past misdeeds though reported, but was never investigated. And to have the case revived days before the UMNO general assembly, is a cause of concern for Rafidah's supporters. Is this a case of sabotage by the 'enemies' of Rafidah?

Secondly, Public Works Minister Mohd Zain Mohamed is alleged to have received bribes totaling RM 25 million from Silkway Cargo, an agent of MAS in Bangladesh. The bribe was paid out from the National Bank of Bangladesh account at various periods from September 2000 to August 2007. Apparently, there has already been a report submitted to the police and MACC, to which there has been no action taken to date. One Faisal Mustafa who made the report has vowed to reveal all, when the case is being heard in court.

Even UMNO is without its problems. A local bumiputra company have laid claims for non payment to UMNO for several million ringgit. The company is said to have supplied assorted items for use by UMNO during the March 8, 2008 general elections, and no payment was made. UMNO's Secretary General Tenku Adnan has denied such claims, and is reported to have said that UMNO does not cheat or lie to its suppliers.

Denial is not the answer to this case. There has to be someone from within UMNO that must have instructed the company to supply the items. It will be damn silly of the company to supply the items without proper orders. Rather than give a flat denial, the least that Tenku Adnan could have said was that he will investigate the matter throughly. The amount spend by the company is not small, and for a bumiputra company, it would mean having to face a closure. This must be clearly understood by UMNO.

In Pahang, UMNO's Paya Besar Division chief Ahmad Tajuddin has willingly accepted a challenge from Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob, to swear that the latter was behind the suspension of four senior UMNO party members by the UMNO disciplinary committee recently, for money politics. Swearing to rid one of an allegation seems to be the trend in UMNO. Najib has taken the lead from Saiful, and now it is Adnan and Ahmad Tajuddin. Wonder who the 'judge' will be?

There seemed to be no end to the fued, corruption and abuse in UMNO, and as the general assembly draws closer, will there be more revelations of 'misdeeds' by UMNO candidates/members?


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
Posted at 3.55 pm on March 21, 2009