Athi Shankar
Free Malaysia Today
The abuse of public institutions to protect the regime’s interest is corruption under the current law, says Ong Bon Keng of the Malaysian Election Observers Network.
GEORGE TOWN: Political activist Ong Boon Keng has accused Barisan Nasional of committing corruption by abusing public institutions to protect its interest.
Ong, a coordinator of the Malaysian Election Observers Network and one of the persons barred from sections of Kuala Lumpur yesterday, said the ruling coalition had broken the “unwritten social contract between the ruling party of the day and the electorate” in its failure to administer the public apparatus according to the rule of law and democratic norms.
He said BN, especially its dominant partner Umno, was practising outdated feudal politics despite “growing demands for people-orientated reforms”.
“By using, misusing and abusing the public apparatus for their selfish interests, the ruling party is guilty of corruption” under current legislation, he said.
He recalled that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was jailed for such an offence 10 years ago.
He called the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission a “lame duck” and rebuked it for not acting against the “blatant misuse of public apparatus to violate the people’s rights”.
“MACC should act against this absolute corrupt act,” he said.
Ong is among the 91 people barred by court order from entering various areas in Kuala Lumpur for the Bersih rally.
He said the order was “unfair and unjust” since it was obtained without providing any opportunity to the affected people to defend themselves in an open hearing.
Thus, he added, the court had “severely violated” the constitutional rights of citizens.
“It’s a mockery of the doctrine of rule of law when a rightful citizen is refused entry into the federal capital,” he said.
“It’s clear that Umno politicians are keen to misuse and abuse any public means to protect their regime’s interests.”
Ong attended the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
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