FOLLOWING the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) decision to freeze Bersatu assets recently, the party made public its audited accounts for 2020 and 2021.

This was also the period when party president Muhyiddin Yassin was prime minister, from March 2020 to August 2021.

Presumably, Bersatu’s move was to portray the party as being above board, unafraid to disclose where its sources of income were from and how money was spent.

It also jives with Bersatu’s narrative that the unity government was using the MACC as a tool for political intimidation.

However, a closer inspection of the accounts published here has raised worrying questions.

In 2020, the party received more than RM108 million in “sponsorships and donations”.

The following year, the amount went up by about 36% to RM148 million.

As we know, 2020 and 2021 were when Covid-19 was at its peak. Many Malaysians succumbed to the disease and businesses were hard hit, with many folding.

It was a dire time, not just in terms of public health, but also economically. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it was the worst crisis the country had ever faced.

However, for a ruling political party to receive such a substantial amount in its official accounts during the period certainly raised eyebrows (no records are available on whether unofficially, the party and its leaders received any more donations).

Until Bersatu makes public the identity of the donors and whether or not there was any quid pro quo arrangements, the public has the right to be sceptical.

Who were the donors and sponsors? Were they not hit by the pandemic?

If they were businessmen, were their companies insulated from the pandemic and did they not lay off workers, cut their salaries or scale down operations?

Were they recipients of the Bersatu-led government’s largesse?

As we know, there is no such thing as a free lunch, much less a “feast” when many Malaysians were literally going to bed hungry during that period.

Some had resorted to literally flying the white flag to raise awareness about their plight.

Many had lost their jobs or saw their incomes slashed and making ends meet became a luxury.

While the government provided some relief in the form of direct cash aid or food baskets for the B40, a substantial amount still came from taxpayers themselves, such as allowing EPF contributors to withdraw their savings or reduce Socso contributions.

Bersatu leaders may think that they were being bold by publishing the party’s audited accounts. Far from it, the move only casts more aspersions on the party.

This is especially so in light of claims by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim that there were lapses in Muhyiddin administration expenditure amounting to RM92.5 billion.

It didn’t help that the cousin of Muhyiddin’s son-in-law had recently been detained by the MACC over government procurement in cases that related to the various economic stimulus packages between 2020 and 2021.

Bersatu has a lot to answer for. It should worry about its own backyard and come clean over its finances before it starts thinking about wrestling back government, whether through electoral, but more likely, given its track record, backdoor means. – February 7, 2023.

* Edwyn Soo reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.