KUALA LUMPUR – Announcing funds and other goodies prior to elections has unfortunately become a common practice, two former Umno leaders said.
Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Sufian Hamdan said even though it was a controversial practice, voters, too, had come to expect it.
“It becomes an expectation and you have to do it… it’s a race to the bottom,” Shahril, who was Umno information chief before his sacking, said on the latest episode of their Keluar Sekejap podcast.
He and Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief and ex-health minister, were discussing Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming’s recent announcement of RM5.21 million for various projects under his ministry in the Kuala Kubu Baharu seat, which will hold a by-election on May 11.
When making the announcement, Nga had been quick to add that the ministry’s allocations had nothing to do with the coming by-election for the state seat, but because the seat had “good feng shui”.
The DAP vice-chairman and Perak party chief had also urged voters living and working elsewhere to return and “vote for a caring party.”
Poking fun at Nga’s “feng shui” remark, Khairy said the DAP minister “must really think that Malaysians are stupid”.
Shahril said Nga’s comments were part of “electioneering” which was normal in politics, and voters had grown used to it.
“I think in the end, voters may not buy it. They may not vote (for you) just because of a certain project, unless they are directly involved in that project.”
Khairy, however, said such an announcement would have some effect on voters, or Nga would not have made it.
“On the flip side, if you don’t do it, voters will ask why you aren’t doing anything,” he said.
Following Nga’s announcement, the minister was criticised by reform groups, Bersih and Tindak Malaysia, which said the minister had been unethical while the allocations could be seen as bribery.
MCA’s Senator Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker also accused Nga of “vote-buying” and making light of the death of Kuala Kubu Baharu’s former assemblyperson Lee Kee Hiong with the minister’s “good feng shui” remark.
Nga in response, defended his announcement, saying he was doing his job as minister. – April 22, 2024