Azizah slams KL 'cancer' of cronyism

Azizah slams KL 'cancer' of cronyism

MANILA (Reuters): Malaysian opposition leader Azizah Ismail on Tuesday lambasted governments that gag media, manipulate judiciaries and fatten cronies, and said "the spark of reform" had begun in Malaysia.

In a fighting speech at an international women's conference in Manila, Azizah said the clamor for change had grown among the young people in her country since the jailing of her husband, former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim.

"They want to reform the country and cure it of the cancer of nepotism (and) cronyism. It has dawned upon them that power by itself is expansionary and the thirst for it is unquenchable," she said. "Power must be reined in, checked and made subject to democratic control."

Azizah did not directly refer to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in office since 1981 and Asia's longest serving elected leader.

She said many of the ills of society were a result of a fragile democracy. "Unless our democracy truly becomes the vehicle for vox populi, the voice of the people, the national agenda will continue to be nothing more than a reflection of the entrenched vested interests of the elite."

Azizah said: "Democracy becomes a mockery when, in its name, the press is gagged, choices are reduced and the provision of social services becomes a means of fattening cronies."

Democracy could work if supported by a free press and "a credible and independent judiciary" and if the electorate could make informed choices, she said.

"Without these supports, democracy is... a convenient tool of manipulation for ruthless and crafty politicians. It gives them an air of legitimacy in their authoritarian rule. Indeed, democracy becomes a virtual tyranny."

Azizah said "the rapacious greed of the cronies" must be curbed by transparent corporate practice and the promotion of healthy business competition.

"An economy that stubbornly refuses to reform, and instead perpetrates new sins, will soon see its day of reckoning," she said.

Azizah said one would expect that charging political opponents with subversion and sedition was already anachronistic. "Yet only last week, opposition figures in my country were arrested and accused of sedition. Their crime was that they made statements... that did not agree with the official view," she said.

The arrest of her husband Anwar in 1998 sparked unprecedented street protests in Malaysia. Anwar has since been sentenced to a six-year term for corruption and is now being tried on a sodomy charge. He has maintained his innocence on all charges against him.

On Monday, Azizah called on Philippine President Joseph Estrada and they spoke briefly about Anwar -- "of the state of his well-being and health," a presidential spokesman said.

In an open forum, Azizah told the conference that although the Malaysian ruling party controlled parliament, the opposition won 46 percent of the popular vote in elections last year.

"This is the beginning. I think the spark of reform has begun and there is hope for us in the future," she said.

Asked if she thought Malaysia was now ready to accept the idea of a woman prime minister, Azizah said: "I think the male dominance is still strong but we are making our mark."

To applause, she quipped: "Maybe I can be deputy prime minister."

The Manila conference is discussing ways of advancing the role of women in politics and other fields.

On Tuesday, Malaysia warned supporters of the jailed former finance minister not to stage anti-government protests after a crackdown on opposition figures last week.

Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted saying by the national Bernama news agency that authorities would take action against anyone found committing an offense. He did not elaborate.

The opposition Parti Keadilan Nasional, led by Azizah, has threatened to stage demonstrations after two of its leaders, a lawyer for Anwar, and the editor and printer of an opposition newspaper were prosecuted for remarks said and published against authorities.