Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has responded to allegations that he failed to address growing corruption within the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) during the 1990s. In a recent episode of the "Keluar Sekejap" podcast, Mahathir emphasized that it was not his responsibility to micromanage the relevant authorities to tackle the issue.
According to Mahathir, if the authorities had noticed any irregularities, they should not have waited for his directive to take action. He believed that it was the job of the police and the then Anti-Corruption Agency to address such matters promptly. Mahathir did acknowledge his responsibility for the issues that arose during his tenure as the party president. However, he strongly asserted that he could not be held accountable for the culture of bribery that had emerged within Umno.
During his time as Umno president, Mahathir's deputy was Anwar Ibrahim, who was later sacked in 1998. Mahathir clarified that Anwar did not personally handle the money but delegated it to his associates, giving them access. This distinction was important for Mahathir to make, as he sought to separate his own actions from those of Anwar. The issue of inaction during Mahathir's tenure as Umno president was raised by podcast co-host and former minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Mahathir was further prompted by former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, who questioned whether corruption and the "money culture" in Umno had originated during Mahathir's leadership. In response to Shahril's query, Mahathir maintained that even today, some Umno leaders wrongly attribute the beginning of corruption within the party to his time as the president. He revealed that he had previously described Umno as "totally corrupt" and expressed skepticism that the conviction of Najib Razak for embezzling public funds through a 1MDB subsidiary would be sufficient to cleanse the party.
In conclusion, Mahathir defended himself against accusations of failing to tackle corruption within Umno during the 1990s. He clarified that it was the responsibility of the relevant authorities, not him, to take action if they noticed any irregularities. While he accepted accountability for the issues that arose during his own tenure as party president, he asserted that he should not be blamed for the culture of bribery that emerged within Umno.
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