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As I see it | Could Malaysia’s latest corruption crackdown backfire on Anwar’s administration?
- Crackdown launched by Anwar’s government relates to alleged breach of procedures over handling of vast sums of public money during Muhyiddin’s administration
- Anwar denies that moves to indict a predecessor are part of witch hunt aimed at lowering support for opposition coalition among majority Muslim population
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Malaysia’s opposition was in uproar last week as authorities slapped former leader Muhyiddin Yassin with multiple corruption charges, bringing his political feud with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to a head as both sides prepare for a clutch of state elections expected later this year.
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The government’s critics say the move to indict Muhyiddin, accused of money laundering and abusing his power to solicit bribes, is part of a witch hunt by Anwar’s administration to try to reduce support among the majority Malay population for the opposition’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
Anwar has dismissed the claim, saying the Attorney General and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) acted independently and there is no political motive behind the charges nor interference from him.
Muhyiddin’s charges – partly linked to a stimulus programme launched during his 18-month reign between 2020 and 2021 – come hot on the heels of similar charges levied against two other leaders of his Bersatu party, and a move by the MACC to freeze the party’s accounts as part of investigations into alleged corruption during political fundraising.
Bersatu leaders have maintained that they did nothing illegal while fundraising, which is not governed by any specific law in Malaysia, and that they were merely going about it in the same way that every other political party does, including Anwar’s People’s Justice Party (PKR).
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Politicking notwithstanding, the decision to freeze Bersatu’s accounts has led to some real-world consequences.
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