Corruption is a Malaysian problem, not a Malay one – Anas Zubedy

One of Malaysia's biggest problems is that we remain trapped in a racial mental model. Professor Tajuddin Rasdi appears to be one example. In his recent article, “A theory on why Malays accept corrupt leaders,” he seems to have fallen into this very trap.

We have become so accustomed to viewing everything through race that even universal human issues such as corruption, integrity, honesty, and accountability are interpreted along ethnic lines.

Instead of asking why people tolerate corruption, he asks why Malays tolerate corruption, as though corruption were a uniquely Malay issue. Rather than examining the political, economic, institutional, and psychological reasons people support leaders accused or convicted of corruption, he frames it as a characteristic of one ethnic community.

Professor Tajuddin cites continued support for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Umno as evidence. But has he forgotten that Chinese, Indian, Sabahan, Sarawakian, and other Malaysians also include people who remember Najib's administration favourably? Some believe, rightly or wrongly, that the economy was better and life more comfortable during his premiership.

And lest he forget, following GE15 in 2022, DAP, a party with a predominantly Chinese support base, agreed to work alongside Umno in the Madani government, an arrangement that continues today. Does that mean DAP and its supporters also tolerate corruption? Or does it demonstrate that political behaviour is more complex than Professor Tajuddin's racial explanation suggests?

This is the danger of the racial mental model. We become selective in what we see and fail to recognise similar behaviours across communities. Extreme bias can make even intelligent people think superficially.

Surely, we should expect greater intellectual rigour from a professor.

Where Is the Economic Evidence?

Take his first argument, taxation. He suggests Malays tolerate corruption because many pay little or no income tax.

But where is the evidence? Does he have official figures showing income tax contributions by ethnicity? I am unaware of any government report providing such a breakdown.

More importantly, has he considered how government revenue works?

Personal income tax is only one source. What about SST, excise duties, corporate taxes, and other taxes borne directly or indirectly by Malaysians?

Given that Malays constitute the largest ethnic community, has he calculated their aggregate contribution through consumption, purchases, and other economic transactions, including taxes passed on to consumers?

Even if Malays, on average, pay less personal income tax because of lower average incomes, how does that establish that they are less concerned about corruption? Are lower-income Malaysians somehow less affected when public money is stolen or misused?

These are basic economic and logical questions that should be addressed before advancing such a theory. An academic argument should rest on evidence, not coffee-shop assumptions dressed up as intellectual analysis.

What Happened During GE15?

Corruption is not a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sabahan or Sarawakian problem, but a Malaysian problem and, more importantly a universal human problem. - Bernama file pic, October 13, 2026

Lest Professor Tajuddin forget, corruption and integrity were prominent issues during Malaysia's 15th General Election in 2022.

Both Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional presented themselves as alternatives to the corruption controversies surrounding Barisan Nasional.

A substantial number of Malay voters rejected Barisan Nasional. Electoral researcher Bridget Welsh estimated that Perikatan Nasional secured the majority -approximately 54% of the Malay vote in Peninsular Malaysia - while others supported Pakatan Harapan and other parties.

While corruption was not the only consideration, economic concerns, religion, political identity, and leadership also influenced voting behaviour.

Nevertheless, GE15 demonstrated that Malay voters were neither politically uniform nor automatically loyal to Umno. Many were prepared to abandon a party they had supported for generations in an election where corruption featured prominently.

How then can we so casually conclude that Malays accept corruption?

What About Islamic Education and Friday Sermons?

Professor Tajuddin also claims that Islamic education largely avoids corruption and that, despite reviewing thousands of Friday sermons, he found none explaining how public money finances government salaries and development.

Perhaps he is unaware of what was happening in mosques across Malaysia in the months leading up to GE15. My work takes me to different states, including Penang, Kedah, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Johor, and Selangor/Kuala Lumpur. I regularly attend Friday prayers wherever I happen to be.

During those months, I personally heard repeated sermons strongly condemning rasuah, explaining why corruption is wrong, and reminding Muslims of their responsibility to reject it. Friends attending prayers elsewhere shared similar experiences.

These were not isolated occasions. The message was repeated over many Fridays and across different states. There appeared to be a concerted effort by religious authorities nationwide to make corruption a major moral concern before the election.

There are documented examples:

On 7 January 2022, a Friday sermon in Selangor addressed corruption. The following day, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah publicly reinforced its message, describing corruption as a grave danger that must be eradicated.

In September 2022, Sultan Nazrin Shah of Perak delivered a major address condemning corruption at the launch of Korupsi dan Kemunafikan dalam Politik Melayu.

On 11 November, mosques across the Federal Territories delivered a sermon titled Integriti Teras Kesejahteraan Keluarga dan Masyarakat.

Most strikingly, on 18 November 2022, just one day before GE15, the official Friday sermon in Perak explicitly urged Muslims to reject candidates associated with corruption and refuse monetary inducements intended to influence their votes. It even explained that ballot papers were financed by taxpayers' money.

These were direct messages connecting Islamic moral responsibilities with corruption, public funds, leadership, and electoral choices.

Of course, not every Friday sermon addressed corruption, nor does this establish that all religious institutions were equally effective. But surely these examples raise serious questions about Professor Tajuddin's sweeping portrayal of Islamic education.

To Fight Corruption, Let Us First Rise Above Race

If we are serious about fighting corruption, perhaps the first thing we must do is free ourselves from the racial mental model.

Corruption is not a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Sabahan, or Sarawakian problem. It is a Malaysian problem and, more importantly, a universal human problem.

Personally, I believe GE15 was a significant moment in our political history. For perhaps the first time in a very long time, I saw Malaysians across racial and religious backgrounds rallying around a common concern: corruption.

Many went to the ballot box determined to demand greater integrity from their leaders. Although race, religion, and other considerations remained influential, corruption had become a major national agenda cutting across communities.

For me, that was among the most encouraging aspects of GE15. It showed that Malaysians could recognise a common enemy beyond their differences.

We should build on that spirit, not retreat into the old racial mental model.

If Professor Tajuddin is serious about fighting corruption, perhaps he should begin by examining his own assumptions and biases rather than framing corruption as a problem peculiar to Malays. This applies equally to how we discuss economics, politics, education, and other social issues.

We all have biases. The challenge is to recognise them, question them, and prevent them from distorting our judgement. When we become overly attached to a race, religion, or political party, we risk seeing only what confirms our beliefs while ignoring evidence that challenges them.

Even intelligent and highly educated people can fall into this trap.

Malaysia will make greater progress against corruption when we stop asking which race tolerates it and start asking why anyone tolerates it.

That is the mental shift we need. And it must begin with ourselves.

“O you who believe! Stand firmly for Allah as witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.” - Quran 5:8. - October 13, 2026

Peace,

Anas Zubedy

Kuala Lumpur

Anas Zubedy is a Scoop reader .

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