Look like Datuk Seri Nazri has really spoken his mind about the current political scenario. His interview with Star has given us another angle to understand him by listerning to his critical comment and his independent frank view.
听真话。。。Listern To Truth !
2300
(From Star Online 8/3/09)
In a frank interview, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz,the minister in charge of law was interviewed by The Star :
A. How is money politics in the Umno elections this time around?
Q. It’s still quite rampant except that it has gone underground. That is the reason we hear a lot of things about the exchange of money but nothing comes out of it. The MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) is empowered to look into all complaints made by Umno members but, as mentioned by the MACC Chief Commissioner, though there were many complaints, what is clear is there is no strong evidence because, as I said, it has gone underground and people are not coming out to say it.................................
B. Why have you chosen to stay out of Umno elections this time?
Because I have been given the responsibility of tabling the MACC Bill and there is such a thing as integrity. How can I table this if I myself get involved in a contest in which I foresee there is going to be a lot of money politics?...........................
C. But you made the decision not to contest party polls even before Datuk Zaid Ibrahim resigned as de facto law minister.
I decided not to contest for many reasons. I have been in the Supreme Council for about 19 years. I first contested in 1990 and won. Don’t tell me 19 years later, I still want to compete for the same post with others who, during my first term in the Supreme Council in 1990, were still in school.
The same argument goes for the vice-presidency (veep). It would mean I am competing against my juniors –(Datuk) Zahid (Hamidi), (Datuk Seri) Hishammuddin Hussein, (Datuk) Shafie Apdal, (Datuk Seri) Khaled (Nordin) – these are all my juniors so I don’t want to compete with my juniors.
I am also a person who would go for the post only if I feel I am better than everyone else (contesting). When (Datuk Seri) Najib Tun Razak was Youth chief, I was his deputy so that’s also the reason I don’t go for veep. The post I would have gone for is deputy president. But I chose not to because I see in (Tan Sri) Muhyiddin Yassin someone who is more experienced than me, older than me and more senior than me.
I have been in the Cabinet for 10 years but he’s been there for 23 years. I look at his resume and credentials and feel that this man is much more qualified than I am so why should I go for the post? Muhyiddin is capable. If I still go for the post – despite Muhyiddin being better qualified – it means I am only interested in myself. But I am more concerned about the party. I want the party to be strong. Najib is now president-elect of Umno and Prime Minister-in-waiting and I want the deputy to be a man of experience who can give support to Najib and confidence to the general public and strengthen Umno. If people look at a Najib-Muhyiddin combination, they are confident. That’s what I want. It’s not about me. That’s why I didn’t go for the post.
There are two other candidates (Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib aka Mat Taib and Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam) standing for the deputy post and you did not even mention them?
First of all, I cannot support them, not for personal reasons but for real, practical reasons. The deputy Prime Minister will succeed the Prime Minister. We can’t discount the fact that anything can happen and if anything happens to the PM, the deputy PM will take over. For Ali (Rustam) and Mat Taib to take over, it is not possible and is unconstitutional because they are not even MPs.
For Mat Taib too, whatever you say he is still a junior minister. How does he command respect if he becomes Deputy Prime Minister? Not just with Umno but also the other Barisan cabinet ministers too! How can, for example, Datuk Bernard Dompok from a small component party in Sabah respect them?
But Muhyiddin has 23 years, so for practical reasons I can’t support the other two. I am a senior in Cabinet and these two are my juniors if they come to Cabinet. It’s not like I don’t like them personally or anything like that. It’s just for practical reasons.
The March 8 general election was an eye opener as Umno suffered from the loss of support. Why have Umno members not realised this and tried to bring the party back on track instead of engaging in money politics?
Because Umno members go into politics for self-gain and self-interest! They are assuming that the party will never lose!
They do not see what happened as a warning of what is to come in the future. They think the public has regretted their decision (to vote the Opposition) and Barisan will get back the support. They think it’s temporary and that elections are like a pendulum that will swing back in their favour, and that we win big in one election and we lose a bit in the next.
Of course they are wrong. We have to work and be people friendly. Umno members must go back to the days when Umno was people friendly.
Whatever you say, people will come to know straightaway. So you have to behave yourself. The public are more demanding now, and rightly so.
Another mistake Umno is making is telling the people they must be grateful for what the Barisan government has done for them. That is wrong.
It’s been a year since the March 8 general election. Has there been some effort to repair Umno in particular?
I think there’ll be a change when Najib takes over. Right now, we are still in denial. We all talk about how we have to change but it’s only talk. I have not seen any concrete effort.
Does this election make you more pessimistic?
If we don’t change. I don’t like the number 13 (13th general election ). The RAHMAN theory is coming to an end, isn’t it? We are coming to the last of the R-A-H-M-A-N Prime Ministers. After that we don’t know. We have to work hard.
As someone who is not contesting, what is your advice to the delegates?
Like Tun Musa (Hitam) said, my advice too is whatever you do, whom you vote, you must not think of just what Umno wants. You must think of what the rakyat wants and then vote. Umno equals the Government so it can’t be just electing a person based on what Umno wants. It must elect a person whom the general public wants and feels confident with.
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