Rais on money politics: Might as well let highest bidder win

PUTRAJAYA: Umno must admit it has a problem with money politics and if left to fester, the party might as well hand posts to the highest bidder, said supreme council member Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
If the scourge of money politics should take further hold in the party , “it would be just better for Umno to have a tender system so that anyone who contributes the highest amount can be a leader,” he said. He suggested the Barisan Nasional dominant component party look towards coalition partners MCA and Gerakan for ideas on how to stem money politics during party elections.
Dr Rais, who has announced his candidacy for a vice-president’s post, said both parties did not have such restrictions as requiring a certain number of nominations to contest for various posts.
“These parties don’t have as many restrictions as we do, but they are comparatively free of money politics,” he told reporters after meeting with diplomats from the Americas and Caribbean regions at the Marriott Hotel here on Tuesday.
One suggestion, Rais added, was reducing the number of nominations necessary to contest certain positions, now at 58 for the presidency and 39 for his deputy.
“Instead, anyone who gets between 10 to 15 nominations can contest. If we do away with the nominations altogether, there may be thousands of candidates,” he said.
Rais, who has so far obtained only six nominations, also lamented that the party was now “in the clutches of corporate personnel and businessmen,” judging from its culture of money politics.
On whether he would lodge a police report on his allegations of money politics, Rais said he could not as he did not have enough evidence of such wrongdoing.

Better To Have Open Tender If Umno Still Plagued By Money Politics - Rais

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim who is eyeing the post of party vice president, said today that it was difficult to rid Umno of money politics.
Money politics, he said, had become an Umno culture for a long time but not many were willing to admit it.
"It is better if we admit it and the people can then judge us so that they will in the end see this political party is clean.
"I feel that if there is no end to money politics, it's better if Umno were to hold an open tender -- those with the highest bid become leaders," he said.
Rais who is Foreign Minister said, it was not impossible to wipe out money politics but the main obstacle was getting the evidence and Umno did not have sufficient resources to closely monitor the practice.
"The best way probably we can see in our friends from MCA and Gerakan. They do not impose strict conditions (on eligibility to vie for posts) but generally, they are free from all these practices.
"I may be wrong but I believe transparency is the best teacher and we should learn from past experiences especially when the past experience we had gone through tasted bitter," he said.

tunku ; it is very sickening that some of the leaders with tonnes of money manipulating the nominations. some insiders said that some candidates spending money just to get enough nominations to contest and they will go all out with the G7 (delegates to GA). that is why we see, the highest person who gets nominated is not guaranteed to win.umno members should realize that the whole nation is watching them.if they don't change, the party won't survive.the last thing then we should do is like what rais suggested that it would be just better for Umno to have a tender system so that anyone who contributes the highest amount can be a leader, very disgusting.