Most of the top govt echelons are corrupt: Malaysian PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who staged a stunning election upset earlier this year to return to power aged 92, said he inherited a government lousy with corruption and with few trustworthy officials, reports CNN. "From outside we saw the damage, but we never expected the damage to be so extensive," he told CNN at his offices in Putrajaya, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. "Most of the top echelons in the government are corrupt."

Mahathir's predecessor and former protege Najib Razak has been charged with multiple counts of corruption for allegedly embezzling millions in public money from Malaysia's 1MDB fund.

"I have to work with some of those people who are suspect," Mahathir said. "It's a very difficult job, if you don't work with people you trust, you don't know whether what you want them to do will be done or not."

Malaysia ranked 62 of 180 countries in Transparency International's most recentglobal corruption index, with the NGO's local affiliate warning that corrupt officials have been able to "stash their ill-gotten gains in their house or foreign banks and invest them in luxurious mansions, expensive cars or lavish lifestyle for their children with total impunity and in blatant disregard for the citizens they are supposed to serve."

As well as widespread corruption and the case against Najib, Mahathir is also facing significant foreign policy challenges, as Malaysia faces a more aggressive China and the fallout from US President Donald Trump's trade war.

Now 93, Mahathir is the world's oldest leader, 21 years older than Trump and more than twice the age of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

 

Most of the top govt echelons are corrupt: Malaysian PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who staged a stunning election upset earlier this year to return to power aged 92, said he inherited a government lousy with corruption and with few trustworthy officials, reports CNN. From outside we saw the damage, but we never expected the damage to be so extensive, he told CNN at his offices in Putrajaya, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Most of the top echelons in the government are corrupt. Mahathirs predecessor and former protege Najib Razak has been charged with multiple counts of corruption for allegedly embezzling millions in public money from Malaysias 1MDB fund. I have to work with some of those people who are suspect, Mahathir said. Its a very difficult job, if you dont work with people you trust, you dont know whether what you want them to do will be done or not. Malaysia ranked 62 of 180 countries in Transparency Internationals most recentglobal corruption index, with the NGOs local affiliate warning that corrupt officials have been able to stash their ill-gotten gains in their house or foreign banks and invest them in luxurious mansions, expensive cars or lavish lifestyle for their children with total impunity and in blatant disregard for the citizens they are supposed to serve. As well as widespread corruption and the case against Najib, Mahathir is also facing significant foreign policy challenges, as Malaysia faces a more aggressive China and the fallout from US President Donald Trumps trade war. Now 93, Mahathir is the worlds oldest leader, 21 years older than Trump and more than twice the age of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.