Money politics issue heats up incoming UMNO election

All is not well with some Umno branches.

Kelantan’s Kubang Kerian Umno division head Fauzi Ismail yesterday admitted that money politics, although not so rampant, was used for the current elections in branches.

He told Bernama that he would not report the matter to the Anti-Corruption Agency but would forward the problem to the party secretariat.

“We admit that money politics exists in the division but we have yet to take any action. We will bring up the case to the Umno secretariat for further action,” he said.

On Sunday, Johor's Kota Tinggi Umno division chief Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, who also admitted the existence of money politics at the grassroots-level elections, said the current campaign had become ugly.

"All these are like cancer which could destroy Umno. We are fighting each other by using not only money politics but also outside influence and threats.

"Hurling abuses and inviting outsiders to hurl abuses also are not right. Never have I seen things like these before," the Home Minister told the press.

On the same Sunday, the ACA released a Seremban Umno member on bail after he was detained a day earlier for allegedly trying to bribe a branch chief for political support.

Last week, Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Umno Youth exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir voiced out their concerns over the political bribery problem.

ACA director-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan had confirmed that reports on money politics by some Umno members were being investigated.

To combat money politics, Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Monday had announced the setting up of a party secretariat to monitor the branch and divisional meetings to ensure compliance of ethics.

Besides money politics, some Umno branches are showing their displeasure with the leadership.

Since July 17 when branches began their meetings, some have nominated leaders other than Abdullah and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the top two posts.

There were also calls for Abdullah to step down as well as to hand over power to Najib earlier than 2010 as planned. Some party grassroots leaders also wanted the nominations quota be abolished while calling for a return to the old two-nomination way for every post.

Besides bribery and bickering, a few Umno branches also saw some serious brawls, both during and outside of the meetings.

In Ipoh, police arrested a Kampung Pisang Umno member on Monday night for allegedly hitting another party member with a golf club — the assailant was angry because his brother was not nominated to contest a division post.

In Labuan, a fist fight broke out during the Batu Manikar Umno branch meeting on Sunday when the permanent chairman allegedly refused to give up his post despite his expired term.

Excerpt from http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/headlines/42-lead-stories/2603-bribes-bickering-and-brawls-at-umno-branches