Heed Boo S Call To Put Pressure On Umno Says Analyst

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A political analyst says Lim Guan Eng and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman could uphold a higher standard of integrity than Umno and Barisan Nasional.PETALING JAYA: A political analyst says Umno would come under pressure if DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng and Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman were to step back from politics pending their corruption trials.
Azmi Hassan.Akademi Nusantara senior fellow (strategic research) Azmi Hassan said such action would show that their parties have a higher standard of integrity than their rivals in Umno and Barisan Nasional.
He said Umno would be placed in a difficult position as its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is also facing trial for corruption while still at the head of the party.
“If they hold on to their positions, it would benefit Umno as both DAP and Muda have accused it of being a party full of corrupt leaders. It will give room to critics of DAP and Muda to say that the two parties do not practice what they preach,” he said.
Last week, Johor DAP leader Dr Boo Cheng Hau said Lim and Syed Saddiq could set a higher standard than BN, if they wanted to offer themselves as the better alternative, by stepping back pending the outcome of their trials.
Lim is accused of using his position as Penang chief minister to ask for a 10% cut of profits from an undersea tunnel project and of accepting RM3.3 million in kickbacks from a businessman in connection with the project.
Oh Ei Sun.Syed Saddiq faces charges of criminal breach of trust and money laundering in connection with election funds totalling RM1.2 million belonging to the Bersatu party.
Oh Ei Sun of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said he believes “progressive-minded voters” viewed the trials as amounting to political persecution.
He said DAP leaders were correct to dismiss the issues that Boo raised as it only helped strengthen attempts to smear the parties. Muda should do the same.
Oh said Lim’s trial is less likely to harm the DAP than PH’s memorandum of understanding with the government. - FMT

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