Mahathir battles corruption in party

Mahathir battles corruption in party

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): The unprecedented sacking of a member of Malaysia's ruling party for allegedly spending millions to buy a key post shows corruption is still rife here, analysts said yesterday.

"It not only proves that money politics is still very much part of party culture, but also shows that the stakes have grown in volume along with general national prosperity," said a political analyst who prefers anonymity.

In an unprecedented move, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday expelled Tajuddin Rahman, a member of his United Malays National Organization (UMNO), for allegedly spending six million ringgit (US$2.4 million), hoping to get elected a division leader in northern Perak state.

Mahathir also announced the setting up of an independent team to investigate corruption in the party.