PM not solely to blame for ‘endemic’ government corruption, ex-minister says
(MMO) – “The officers, you know, whether they were abusing their positions or made errors or misjudgement, I don’t know. A lot of these are by the implementers and not so much by the political masters”.
Malaysia’s deep-seated corruption problem should not be heaped only on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s shoulders as it is usually lower-ranking government officials who abuse their powers, former federal minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.
The veteran politician who quit Umno to form his own party, Ikatan now in partnership with PAS, said ministers should be wary of their subordinates, whom he termed as “little Napoleons”.
“You know, I have been long enough in the government to not jump easily and accuse the prime minister. You can’t accuse him alone for all the ills,” Abdul Kadir told Malay Mail Online in a recent interview at his office here.
“You just look every day, the ministry of sports. How can they allow such a thing? That’s why I said, corruption has become endemic and it started sometime back. Long before Najib, long even before Pak Lah,” he added, using the nickname for Najib’s predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
