This, explained Negeri Sembilan delegate Syamsul Amri Ismail, was because with no offer on the table, there can be no takers.

“If no one gives, no one will take,” he said in a debate session at the Umno general assembly here.

Syamsul Amri, however, urged all Umno members to practice the teachings of Islam which reject corruption.

To emphasise his point, he quoted Prophet Muhammad: “Unfaithful are those who don’t keep their trust”.

Syamsul Amri then provided an example of how one can reject a bribe offered to them.

“When someone says ‘Here is RM50’, you say, ‘Don’t bribe me’. ‘RM100’, and you say, ‘Don’t test me’. ‘Here, RM500’. You continue the rejection and say, ‘You are going to far’.

He went on until the offer went up to RM1000, “and then you say, ‘Don’t say it too loudly’.”

This sent the crowd into a fit of laughter.

Syamsul said corruption is a practice that must be eradicated.