RM500 for rakyat, RM1.5m for mistress

The prime minister, his ministers and their children can afford to live like kings while the rakyat suffers.

COMMENT

Money, sex and scandal: Umno ministers seem to be remembered for these, rather than their policies or ability.

It is alleged that a government minister spent around RM1.5 million on a little known actress who has been his mistress for the past three years.

Last month, a young man had a temper tantrum and revealed that his family was living well beyond their means. Daddy is the de facto Law Minister Nazri Aziz and his son was driving a Porsche, whilst accompanied by a bodyguard in a Toyota Vellfire.

How can a minister and his son afford luxury imported cars on a ministerial salary, and why does the minister’s son need a bodyguard? The son’s abuse of his father’s position has to be explained. Instead of answers, we get cover-ups

For months, Malaysians have read about the former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her family’s role in stealing RM250 million of the taxpayers’ money to squander on personal luxuries.

Months after the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) scandal broke, the government has still not prosecuted the people involved. When Shahrizat’s husband, Mohamad Salleh, was charged with criminal breach of trust (CBT), the company’s accounts were frozen. Now, his passport has been returned to him so he can visit Singapore, Kazakhstan and Mecca. He is supposedly on cattle-related business in Kazakhstan and will continue to Mecca, for his umrah.

It appears that it is business as usual for the directors in the NFCorp.

A trip to Mecca, to atone for sins, seems to be a common pastime for the crooked Muslims in Umno.

A lesser person who is late in paying their taxes or quit rent would be in serious trouble. Any other person charged with CBT would have had their passport impounded for good.

Not so with the elite in the Umno hierarchy. Travel is not restricted. CCTV evidence detailing involvement in any alleged violent crime is wiped clean, witness statements are altered, immigration records are deleted.

Umno elite

No one really cares if Umno politicians want mistresses, but the public objects to being patronised by them.

The Umno elite is happy to make and distribute sex videos of the opposition leader to sully his character, but at the same time pretend to the Umno-worshippers, that its leaders lead a blemish-free and pious life, free from carnal sin.

This time, the minister and his mistress have hit the headlines for the wrong reasons and have really angered the public.

This minister splurged RM1.5 million within four months. That is RM375,000 per month, and is a sum of money few of us will get to see in our lifetime.

It is believed that the minister, alleged to be Shafie Apdal, the Rural and Regional Development Minister from Sabah, has been in this relationship for at least three years. How many millions did he spend on the upkeep and maintenance of his mistress during this period?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s salary is around RM23,000 per month, and it is safe to assume that Shafie’s pay is lower. How then is the minister funding his mistress?

Can’t Umno ministers make honest women of their mistresses by marrying them? Is it because number one wife will not give permission? Will these men lose the thrill of the chase? Are they under the impression that once a mistress becomes a wife, she will go to seed and try to prevent him chasing a new mistress?

Najib is also guilty of living beyond his means. He splurged RM500,000, in one month, on two dinner parties – his birthday and his daughter’s engagement.

One online paper published an itemised bill for Najib’s birthday bash; the imported food cost RM20,700 for 100 guests but the floral arrangements were a staggering RM31,800.

Last year, Najib announced that he would give a one-off payment of RM500 to Malaysians earning RM3,000 and below. This is an insult to Malaysians.

Uncontrollable sexual urges

Umno men have a record of mismanaging their finances, of uncontrollable sexual urges and an inability to control their children. Why can’t Umno women see this and take charge?

Apart from the misuse of the public purse, zakat money has also been stolen but nothing has been done to contain this misappropriation of funds. When Hoslan Hussein, the shoe-throwing imam, tried to expose the corruption and abuse of power in his mosque, he was jailed.

Why can’t the ordinary Malays fight back and reclaim the righteous path instead of keeping silent and allowing these evil people to tar the name of the religion?

Or is Umno their new religion?

Why have Hasan Ali and Ibrahim Ali, the “defenders of race, royalty and religion”, said nothing about these scandals?

Opposition politicians should be kept on their toes discussing policy rather than exposing the private lives of Umno politicians who cannot keep their hands out of the till and off loose women.

The prime minister, his ministers and their children can afford to live like kings while the rakyat suffers with a cut in subsidies and a rise in the prices of basic commodities. They tell us to tighten our belts but they just waste any money we save.

Perhaps, Umno ministers’ policy is “Do as I tell you, not as I do” and hope that we will tolerate their bed-hopping antics.

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.