Latest news with #JohanAriffinSamad
Daily Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Express
Corruption a ‘big problem' despite Malay religiosity, says G25 member
Published on: Tuesday, May 27, 2025 Published on: Tue, May 27, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: G25 member Johan Ariffin Samad wants the authorities to decouple religion from politics, saying it would help the country's battle against corruption. PETALING JAYA: Religiosity has proven to be an insufficient deterrent against corruption, a member of the G25 group of prominent retired civil servants said, citing a 2020 survey by anti-graft group, Transparency International. According to the survey, 71% of Malaysians felt that government corruption was a 'big problem'. Malaysians, according to the 'Global Corruption Barometer for Asia 2020', viewed Parliament, the police and the government as institutions most likely to be corrupt. G25's Johan Ariffin Samad noted that these institutions are 'overwhelmingly dominated by Malays' who, by definition under the Federal Constitution, must be Muslim. 'Despite outward displays of faith, rampant corruption continues to erode Malaysia's institutions and future. 'This raises a difficult but necessary question: how can a society which prides itself on religious and moral values tolerate such widespread corruption within its own ranks?' he said at a recent event in Penang. Advertisement Johan said the country must 'decouple' religion from politics to help in its war against corruption. Malay leaders, he said, often project a keen sense of religiosity, yet consistently score low on clean governance measures. He added that these politicians would use race and religion, two concepts which are deeply intertwined, to 'shield, justify or deflect wrongdoing'. Malays, on the other hand, remain entrenched 'in a feudal mindset, where loyalty to race, religion, and rulers supersedes critical thinking and moral accountability', said Johan. 'Where does Malay loyalty truly lie? To justice? To religion? To the constitution? Or merely to race, status and symbolism?' Johan said both Sabah and Sarawak have decoupled religion from crime. Recent cases of alleged corruption involving the issuance of mining licences in Sabah, for instance, have been addressed strictly as matters of potential criminal wrongdoing. 'There are no attempts to justify or excuse them on religious grounds.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Free Malaysia Today
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Corruption a ‘big problem' despite Malay religiosity, says G25 member
G25 member Johan Ariffin Samad wants the authorities to decouple religion from politics, saying it would help the country's battle against corruption. PETALING JAYA : Religiosity has proven to be an insufficient deterrent against corruption, a member of the G25 group of prominent retired civil servants said, citing a 2020 survey by anti-graft group, Transparency International. According to the survey, 71% of Malaysians felt that government corruption was a 'big problem'. Malaysians, according to the 'Global Corruption Barometer for Asia 2020', viewed Parliament, the police and the government as institutions most likely to be corrupt. G25's Johan Ariffin Samad noted that these institutions are 'overwhelmingly dominated by Malays' who, by definition under the Federal Constitution, must be Muslim. 'Despite outward displays of faith, rampant corruption continues to erode Malaysia's institutions and future. 'This raises a difficult but necessary question: how can a society which prides itself on religious and moral values tolerate such widespread corruption within its own ranks?' he said at a recent event in Penang. Johan said the country must 'decouple' religion from politics to help in its war against corruption. Malay leaders, he said, often project a keen sense of religiosity, yet consistently score low on clean governance measures. He added that these politicians would use race and religion, two concepts which are deeply intertwined, to 'shield, justify or deflect wrongdoing'. Malays, on the other hand, remain entrenched 'in a feudal mindset, where loyalty to race, religion, and rulers supersedes critical thinking and moral accountability', said Johan. 'Where does Malay loyalty truly lie? To justice? To religion? To the constitution? Or merely to race, status and symbolism?' Johan said both Sabah and Sarawak have decoupled religion from crime. Recent cases of alleged corruption involving the issuance of mining licences in Sabah, for instance, have been addressed strictly as matters of potential criminal wrongdoing. 'There are no attempts to justify or excuse them on religious grounds.'
Free Malaysia Today
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Sabah activist pans Bung's claim of minimal development under local parties
Sabah activist Johan Ariffin Samad said Umno failed to lift Sabah from the poverty trap. (Wikipedia pic) PETALING JAYA : A Sabah activist says it is unfair to claim that there was minimal development when the state was governed by local parties, pointing to the contributions of leaders such as former chief minister Harris Salleh. Johan Ariffin Samad said Harris, the former president of local party Berjaya who led the state for nearly 10 years, was still regarded as the father of Sabah's industrial and agriculture development. Johan Ariffin Samad. He also cited some of Harris's legacies, like the Desa Dairy Farm in Kundasang, developed under a state government-linked company, which he said was still operating today. 'It is unfair to claim that Sabah saw minimal development under a local party,' Johan, also known as Joe Samad, told FMT. The remark was made by Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin, who had referred to the period of 1963 to 1994. Bung said that development took a back seat due to political infighting and power struggles among local parties. He also claimed that frequent changes in government had led to incoherent development plans and the underdevelopment of much of rural Sabah. Harris became chief minister in 1976, following the plane crash that killed his predecessor and party comrade, Fuad Stephens. He led the state until he was ousted in an election in 1985 by Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who had left Berjaya to form Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS). In 2020, former banker John Lo told FMT that he regarded Harris as the overseer of the 'golden era' of Sabah's economic development. Lo credited Harris for the development of the tourism, oil and gas industries and an acceleration in agricultural development. Bung Moktar Radin. Johan also rubbished Bung's claim that 'real change' only took place in 1994, when Barisan Nasional (BN) took over the state administration. He said Umno had failed to lift Sabah from the poverty trap and that it remains the state with the highest poverty level. 'Umno focused on urban development centres like Kota Kinabalu, which resulted in the poor infrastructure that we have today in the rural areas,' he said. He added that Umno and BN had likewise failed to resolve the issue of undocumented migrants which continued despite the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) findings on 'Project IC', which saw thousands of undocumented migrants granted Malaysian citizenship. He also cited the rotating system for chief ministers, initiated by Umno, which he said had weakened the state leadership. The system, introduced after BN regained power in Sabah in 1994, saw the post rotated every two years among leaders representing the different communities. 'Bung is the biggest hypocrite for blaming local parties and crediting Umno for development,' he said.
