MONEY politics have become an issue in Umno and party presidential hopeful Tengku Razaleigh Tengku Hamzah wants to dismantle the culture if he takes power.  

In an interview with radio station BFM today, Tengku Razaleigh said some members who became division leaders would be favoured or gain privileges if they had connections with those at the top in the party.

“They want to perpetuate their existence there (in the party). They had to service all their supporters in order to keep them in their position, so that they will be able to maintain these links with those powerful chaps,” he said.

Tengku Razaleigh, also known as Ku Li, defined money politics as the relationship one had with supporters and the government, and the money transactions that took place in between.  

He said it was a problem because these individuals “hawked” around for money while not doing much work.

“Because of that, everybody wants to stay where they are because there is a kind of occupation for them and they can earn a lot of money just by hawking themselves around and not doing much work.  

“They’re like middlemen, brokers between supporters and people who dispense power in the centre or up there,” said Tengku Razaleigh.  

He added these individuals would also prevent new members from entering to maintain their positions, which led to the frustration of younger members as they were not able to make headway into the political scene.  

Tengku Razaleigh said he would have to be very strict if he was chosen to lead Umno and discipline as well as educating the members.

“They need to understand because this is not going to lead them anywhere. They have not acquired expertise other than getting contracts or a piece of paper and selling them to somebody prepared to give them monetary gains.  

“But it’s not going to help him in the long run because he gains no additional knowledge or expertise,” he added.

He also said he had not spent a single cent for his campaign period ahead of the party polls on June 30.

“There is this generalisation that money politics is not good to them in the long run. It is a good education.  

“We have been able to transmit this idea throughout this period. We reject money politics and no money is being used in this campaign. At least, I haven’t used a sen.” – June 26, 2018.