PETALING JAYA: A person who holds political power or an administrative position is guilty of graft if he accepts a material presentation meant to influence his actions or to disrupt his dispensation of justice or to prevent him from fulfilling a trust placed in him, according to Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.
This would be true whether the effect was direct or indirect, he said in a Facebook posting that presents an exegesis of a hadith recorded by Muhammad al-Bukhari, the eminent 9th Century compiler of the sayings of the Prophet.
“However,” he said, “the presentation would be considered a gift – and blameless in Islam – if it is given in sincerity without the giver expecting anything in return and without there being any opening for an abuse of power or position.”
He explained further: “It is definitely corruption if the presentation is of extraordinary value and would not have been given if the recipient were not in a position of power.”
Asri’s article follows yesterday’s announcement by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that funds totalling RM2.6 billion allegedly in Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal bank accounts were political donations.
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