Political Lobbying

Opposition parties and pro-democracy groups in Malaysia came under fire from Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday, who accused them of turning a blind eye to the corruption in the political lobbying rampant in the United States.

The former prime minister asserted that cries of cronyism would abound if professional lobbyists and lobby groups were allowed to openly influence lawmakers here.

But he noted that the thinly-veiled US system in which political clout was auctioned off to the highest bidder has not drawn complaints from the trenchant local critics of Malaysia’s democracy.

“Malaysians would never think of condemning this system. For Malaysians, especially the liberal NGOs, and the opposition, everything and anything that is done by the US and the West are regarded as democratic,” he wrote in a blog post yesterday.

“They would never condemn the US for this blatant fee-based influence-pedalling.”

In the same blog post, Dr Mahathir also took aim at his regular Jewish targets, using the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to demonstrate the corruption endemic in the lobbying system and the purported influence over the country’s politics.



“It can reach the President, all members of the American Government and all Congressmen and Senators as well as their staff at any time.

“[It] is so powerful that candidates for President and other offices in the US Government have to literally pledge support for Israel to his lobby or they would lose in elections,” he added.

Malaysia has, in the recent post-Mahathir years, seen increasing civil disobedience by its citizens in their demand for greater democracy and personal liberties, including three large-scale street rallies in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

Since 2008, opposition parties and advocates of democracy have grown more vocal in their criticism of Malaysia’s electoral system, which they allege was engineered to keep the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in power.

Dr Mahathir was prime minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, and ruled the country with — according to his fiercest critics — an iron fist under the guise of a democracy.

He has also spoken out against “too much democracy”, warning that such a thing could lead to violence and instability.

The country’s longest-serving PM also said previously that pursuit of democracy could lead to hardship and anarchy, destroying an otherwise stable and prosperous society.

Malaysia holds a general election once every five years, but has only ever had the same ruling coalition in power since its precursor, the Federation of Malaya, gained independence in 1957.

Source: The Malay Mail