Individuals commit corruption, not parties, says Hamzah
Hamzah Zainudin, president of Parti Wawasan Negara, said corruption is a personal act, not a party offence, and criticised efforts to judge a coalition by the wrongdoing of its members.
Source: Free Malaysia Today · August 14, 2026 at 4:08 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 14 AUGUST 2026 —
Hamzah Zainudin, president of Parti Wawasan Negara, said corruption is a personal act, not a party offence, and criticised efforts to judge a coalition by the wrongdoing of its members.
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In an interview with Free Malaysia Today, he said allegations involving individuals should not be grounds to reject cooperation between Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional. The two coalitions agreed a pact for the Negeri Sembilan state election and won 25 of the 36 seats, most in Malay-majority areas, enabling them to form the government.
The understanding was reached to unify Malay voters, but has faced criticism over past corruption scandals linked to BN while it led the federal government until 2018. These include the 1MDB affair and the 2019 Royal Commission of Inquiry report into Lembasa Tabung Haji, which was released on July 29 after being completed four years earlier. The report found serious governance, investment and financial management weaknesses at TH and recommended a major overhaul.
Asked whether the BN-PN partnership would be weakened by association with alleged corruption, Hamzah said judging a party by the actions of one member is unfair.
“Corruption is committed by individuals,” he said. “The perception that a party commits corruption is unfair to any party.”
He argued the coalition’s Malay-Muslim unity narrative remains valid despite the controversies and positioned Wawasan as a bridge between political groupings. The party is ready to act as a main pillar and take a leading role in uniting Malaysians, he said.
Hamzah said national unity must be central to the political agenda, but demographic realities have to guide policy that can be accepted by all communities. “If the majority is not united, it will be difficult for us to ensure that we achieve the goal of becoming a developed nation,” he said.
He added that uniting the majority community first, followed by participation from other groups, can create a shared national objective and agenda for the country’s future.