The rakyat are the boss

Everything has a beginning. A burst pipe started with a small leak. A jumbo elephant was born a calf. A little pothole on the road becomes a crater. So it is with the state of our nation. The rot did not start with Najib Abdul Razak. His brazen and glaring attempt to derail investigations into anything 1MDB and the bold transfers and termination of senior civil servants in government is not an isolated event thought off by Najib.

The overpowering executive started years ago under the administration of Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He removed all forms of checks and balance, neutered the police and judiciary and silenced the royalty. There was no regard for the future. Only whatever was expedient and necessary for development in the 90s. Parliament functioned as a mere ‘rubberstamp’.

We the rakyat were to busy to bother. The economy was bustling and opportunities were great. We allowed the Mahathir administration to do whatever he liked. The result is an out of control executive who does as he pleases and spends as he likes. To date, he has sacked the attorney-general (AG), cold storaged the deputy chief of Special Branch and moved public accounts committee (PAC) members investigating 1MDB, which eventually derailed investigations.

He has received RM2.6 billion into his account and shrugs it off as donations. Nothing wrong, they say.

It is wrong on so many counts. First of all the prime minister of Malaysia should not be receiving ‘donations’ especially foreign donations. It is a conflict of interest. If the donations were for his political party then it should have been to Umno’s account, not his personal account.

Secondly, no individual would make a donation of RM2.6 billion. Even if he or she does, it should not be received by the leader of a nation, especially from a foreigner. It becomes questionable if Najib would act in favour of his patron saint. It becomes a question of national security. Were any confidential and sensitive information leaked to foreigners in exchange for this ‘donation’ which has put our national security at stake?

It is wrong and there is no question about it. This is basic integrity and it appears that the leader of the longest-serving political party in government, the Barisan Nasional government, has forgotten what is basic integrity. You can spin it as you like, the fact that RM2.6 billion was put into your personal account is in itself wrong.

The state of affairs in Malaysia didn’t just start over night. It started a long time ago when Malaysians were sleeping. When we woke up, we found that the nation has been hijacked by pirates. The plundering, the corruption and the abuse which was an open secret is now blatantly exposed for all to see without shame or fear.

Civil servants who are zealous in doing their jobs are being transferred or cold storaged to keep them silenced. The usual racial rhetoric is drummed up as a decoy to distract the Malay populace. The usual Barisan nasional strategy of divide and conquer is once again drummed up.

Enough is enough. The rakyat are no longer blind. We must hold the entire BN government responsible because the component parties and ministers from the coalition are silent. Their silence show that they consent and are partners in crime. We must not let them off the hook. They cannot be allowed to hoodwink Malaysians any longer.

We pray that they will be out before the next general election (GE) but if it goes to the polls we will be ready to remind the BN government who is boss in Malaysia. We must be united - Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazans, Ibans... united to remind them who is boss! -Mkini