Political appointments as rewards for loyalty signal deep moral crisis - Rasuah Busters
When positions of power are handed out as tokens of loyalty, it denies rightful opportunities to qualified individuals and erodes the integrity built upon justice and merit.
SHAH ALAM – The Prime Minister’s recent remarks on political appointments go beyond questions of governance and instead reflect a serious moral crisis and a betrayal of the reformist spirit once promised to the people.
Voicing concern over Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's justification of political appointments as rewards for loyalty, anti-graft movement Rasuah Busters said this would deprive deserving individuals of rightful opportunities and undermine the integrity rooted in justice and meritocracy.
"Leadership should never be reduced to a tool of political convenience.
"When positions of power are handed out as tokens of loyalty, it denies rightful opportunities to qualified individuals and erodes the integrity built upon justice and merit," the group said in a statement, today.
It said Malaysia must work towards cultivating a mature political culture, where public service was grounded in responsibility to the people, not allegiance to a political party.
The true cost of leadership, it said should be competence, moral authority and a demonstrated commitment to uphold public trust and not party affiliation or personal loyalty.
The group warned that such justifications only deepened public scepticism about the government’s commitment to good governance and perpetuate a patronage culture that reform movements have long sought to dismantle.
"Rasuah Busters firmly emphasises that state-owned enterprises and public agencies are not the property of any political party.
"They must be safeguarded from being exploited as platforms for political patronage, favouritism, or the settling of political scores.
"This dangerous normalisation of political rewards must end immediately. Left unchecked, it risks paving the way for financial scandals akin to 1Malaysia Development Bhd and opens the door to abuse of national resources for political manoeuvring," it said.
It said the vision of a reform-driven Malaysia must remain clear and uncompromising.
Any trace of cronyism that compromises transparency and invites corruption must be confronted decisively before public faith in the nation’s governance deteriorates beyond repair, it added.
Rasuah Busters urged both political leaders and Malaysians to stand firm on principles of unwavering integrity.
"This is not merely about political systems or democratic processes. It represents a fundamental crisis of values and morality that weakens our anti-corruption resolve and jeopardises our collective mission to restore national dignity," it said.
Anwar was reported to have said that political appointments made by a government to qualified individuals should be allowed, as they did not constitute an abuse of power.
In a report published on May 24, an online news portal quoted Anwar as saying during his winding-up speech at the PKR National Congress that political appointments are a "reward" earned by individuals for their service and contributions to the party’s success in forming the government.
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