Former minister Khairy Jamaluddin has said that wrongdoing must never be defended, even when it involves leaders of his own party, Umno, stressing that political loyalty should not take precedence over integrity.
He said allegations of corruption and mismanagement must be addressed, and those involved should be held accountable.
“We shouldn’t be afraid of talking about corruption, even if it involves our leaders. We should not be afraid to talk about it.
“What is wrong is wrong. What you cannot defend, don’t defend. Mismanagement is mismanagement. If there is a case, we have to answer for it, and never compromise when it comes to integrity,” he said.
Khairy was speaking during a panel session at the International Young Future Leaders Summit at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur.
The other panellists were Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari and Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
Onn Hafiz warns against selective prosecution
Khairy was responding to a student who raised concerns about corruption, public donations and support for former prime minister Najib Razak.
Onn Hafiz described corruption as a cancer that undermined progress but warned against selective prosecution, claiming that recent developments amounted to political persecution. He did not specify which cases he was referring to.
“I think it is a cancer and has a serious negative impact when it comes to progress. If you want to prosecute anyone, you must be fair and apply the law regardless of political party.
“In my opinion, what’s been happening the past few months is political persecution. And I think that is not fair,” he said.
He added that no institution or government agency should be used or weaponised for political gain.
Amirudin welcomes continued concern among young Malaysians
Amirudin said young Malaysians’ continued concern about corruption was encouraging, noting that the issue had been a major political concern since the 1990s and continued to influence public sentiment.
“It is still a major concern among Malaysians, particularly young leaders. I am very pleased, and I believe this is a good sign,” he said.
