Syaza Shukri of International Islamic University Malaysia said Umno has a well-known history of money politics.

She said the latest controversy, with links to former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, will likely see Umno supporters turn their back on the party.

“Fence-sitters may turn to PAS to align themselves with PAS’s politics, which is based on Islam,” she told FMT.

On March 2, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said about RM170 million in cash and 16kg of gold bars worth millions of ringgit were seized in an investigation into four senior officers linked to Ismail.

The cash and gold were recovered in raids conducted at the residences of the four officers and three other premises believed to have been used as “safe houses”.

The next day, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said Ismail was being called in as a suspect, not a witness, in the ongoing investigation.

Syaza, however, said the controversy is unlikely to sway those who feel they can still benefit from Umno.

“For some Umno members, fighting corruption may not be a priority. They will stick with Umno as long as they perceive that it will benefit them,” she said.

Umno’s brand of nationalism not selling anymore

Political expert James Chin said the latest allegations are not surprising given Umno’s history with money politics.

He said that while the party may try to address the issue, eliminating money politics from its ranks would be near impossible.

“The reality is that most people join Umno because they want something out of it. The grassroots may be against corruption at first, but once they reach the top and get a piece of the pie, they stay silent,” he told FMT.

Chin said Umno, which lost power at the 2018 general election, still struggles to appeal to the Malay voters.

“The actual party that represents the Malay ground today is PAS. Umno’s brand of nationalism is not selling anymore,” he said.

Syaza also said public perception of Umno remains unchanged, as many see corruption as entrenched within the party.

“How much worse can people’s perception of Umno get when one of its leaders is already in jail for grand corruption?” she said, referring to former prime minister Najib Razak, who is serving prison time for his conviction in the SRC International case.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara however said the impact of Ismail’s alleged involvement is not as severe as Najib’s corruption scandal.

“While this case does not bode well for the party, it is not as damaging as Najib’s case,” Azmi told FMT.

He said the controversy however still reinforces the perception that Umno leaders cannot be trusted when it comes to corruption.

“Most Umno supporters are likely to go to PAS who is seen to be protecting Islam. PAS is the winner in this situation,” he said.