Kuching: The statement by Terengganu state executive councillor Azman Ibrahim claiming that “Race C often gives bribes whilst Race M often receives bribes” is irresponsible, offensive, and wholly unbecoming of someone holding public office.
Corruption is a long-standing national problem. It exists because of abuse of power, weak enforcement, and poor accountability, not because of race.
To racialise corruption is to deflect from the real causes and those truly responsible.
To many in the Chinese community, these remarks are not just careless but deeply hurtful.
For years, Chinese Malaysians have been unfairly stereotyped as “bribe givers,” when the reality is far more complex and often the opposite.
Many Chinese have experienced being stopped by enforcement officers and sensing an unspoken expectation for a “token,” yet they chose to refuse.
They accepted compounds and penalties because they believe that wrongdoing should be punished, not paid off.
These quiet acts of integrity rarely make headlines, but they matter.
To casually label the Chinese community as habitual participants in corruption dismisses these values and sacrifices.
It also sends a dangerous message that, in the minds of those in power, corruption is cultural.
The truth is that corruption thrives only where power is abused and accountability is absent.
That is precisely why strong checks and balances and a credible opposition are essential.
Without scrutiny, abuse of power goes unchecked, and corruption festers.
Dragging race into the conversation only weakens the fight against corruption and divides the nation.
The Chinese community has every right to feel anger and disappointment.
We reject corruption, and we reject being used as a convenient scapegoat.
DAP Sarawak will continue to play its role (at both the state and federal levels) as a firm and principled party to hold those in power accountable, defend the dignity of all communities, and ensure that corruption is confronted honestly as a national failure, not distorted into a racial accusation.
Michael Kong Feng Nian
DAP Sarawak Assistant Publicity Secretary
23 January 2026
