The Bersatu Youth wing wants the culture of "recommendation letters" halted.

The move was to stop the abuse of power among politicians and civil servants, said its chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman.

(It is believed this is a common practice among some politicians to write such letters for individuals seeking government approval to start a project or secure deal)

Syed Saddiq said civil servants should be courageous and refrain from accepting such letters or lend their support on matters that were against the law.

"The prime minister has said that if there is an element of abuse of power, or if it overlaps with existing laws, civil servants must have the courage to speak up,” he said after attending an Aidilfitri open house in the Pagoh parliamentary constituency in Muar today.

He was asked to comment on a Bersatu youth leader’s alleged abuse of political position at the Ramadan bazaar in Kuala Lumpur recently.

The youth leader had purportedly abused his position by securing 80 stalls at Jalan Masjid India and then rented them out for up to RM5,000 per lot, notching a profit of about RM400,000.

Syed Saddiq said he was informed that the incident was linked to the culture of recommendation letters, adding that the Bersatu Youth integrity bureau had lodged a police report to ensure a thorough investigation.

It was also in line with the commitment of the Pakatan Harapan administration in tackling corruption at both party and government level, he said.

- Bernama