The faux outrage over Mara

The MPs for Pekan and Bagan Datuk have been behaving as if they both have a crystal ball in which they can see what the future holds for their kind. They are predicting the outcome of policies of the current government.

I will hereafter refer to them as ‘Pekan’ and ‘Bagan Datuk’. No names will be mentioned, as it is a case of an ordinary citizen taking on two MPs for their acts and omission of the past.

Both are enjoying freedom of expression which allows them to say their piece – truth or fiction. When they were in charge, such a right (not privilege) was never accorded to many individuals and the media. Never mind that the state media and those aligned to them silenced many an independent voice.

But the duo took it further by passing insolent, rude and impudent lies on the current prime minister and other leaders of the ruling coalition. In short, it was a well-drilled exercise aimed at demonising them.

Having given some background, I must insist that I have the same rights as the duo, but I will not resort to lies or attempts to demonise them. This column is not about them or the rights of indigenous people.

Before the rent-a-crowd mob organises a protest and declares me anti-national, let me make a solemn declaration: I am all for affirmative policies which help the poor and the down-trodden.

Betrayed trust

Majlis Amanah Rakyat or Mara has been on the lips of Pekan and Bagan Datuk over the past two days. As a citizen, I too have the same rights as the duo, and am perfectly entitled to express my views on the subject. I will merely put forth my thoughts and opinions. You, the discerning reader will have to make up your mind.

The operative word in Mara is amanah (trust), a scarce commodity when the duo ruled the roost. Many forgot that officials of Mara were holding whatever monies allocated or property bought in trust for the people.

But that trust was betrayed. Over the years, Mara was plundered and no one, including Pekan or Bagan Datuk raised a whimper. Their silence was deafening even when the proverbial sh*t the fan.

These days both have awoken from their slumber, like Rip Van Winkle, and are voicing their views. I see it as trying to score brownie points among party members. Their newfound interest in Mara and its associated agencies is because fundamental changes are being considered by the government to strengthen their structure.

Pekan and Bagan Datuk are objecting to change. They want the old ways when many could put their fingers in the till without any inhibitions. Such abuse resulted in reduced allocations amounting to millions which should have gone to deserving groups.

It was then like a small party of circus performers. The chairperson of many agencies came from the same party as the minister. The directors and senior officials were political appointees – card-carrying cadres.

And let it be said that we are not insinuating any impropriety on the part of the minister or all of them. On the contrary, I go on record to categorically state that some of these people were involved in large-scale cheating and deception.

Dirty money

For four years, Mara and some of its agencies had been on our radar. In 2015, Australian investigative journalist Nick McKenzie and I spent months tracing how dirty money from rotten deals involving purchase of property in Melbourne ended up in the pockets of a few including top officials in Mara Inc – the investment arm of Mara.

We broke the story with documents and graphics showing the trail of deceit and the circuitous “washing” of dirty money. We discovered the paper trail from shell companies in the British Virgin Islands and front companies in Malaysia which were used to receive the funds. A father and his two sons were instrumental in laundering the dirty money through a web of companies.

Documents related to the transactions and the money laundering were given to both Mara’s integrity office and the MACC. A handful of people were arrested, held for a few days and then released without any charges.

The timing was wrong. The MACC was at its peak with its then-director-general exonerating everyone from the prime minister down to the poor office boy. I can only guess it was political expediency.

Where were Pekan and Bagan Datuk when some of their trusted party men worked the system and robbed Mara under the ‘old’ system? At the end of the day, Mara was left carrying the baby. Where were your voices then?

MACC and by extension, the Attorney-General’s Chambers became useful porticoes to absolve people in the highest office of any blame. The indiscretion of some Mara Inc’s officials was mere chicken feed in the whole picture and lumped in the “no mandate to prosecute” category.

Today, Pekan and Bagan Datuk want to stand out as virtuous and righteous people who want to defend the rights of “their people and their religion.” Why did they remain silent on the thieving and deceit took place under their watch?

At least, the changes proposed the government can help put an end and identify those who were on the gravy train. Are they afraid of that?

Pekan and Bagan Datuk should take the blame for putting foxes in charge of hen-houses in Mara and its subsidiaries and hundreds of other government agencies. Nothing unusual happened; besides the wily animals swallowing the birds whole and spitting out the bones.

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R Nadeswaran has several documents on the Melbourne scandal in a safe house and is willing to share them with any enforcement agency which is serious about taking action against the wrongdoers. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com. - Mkini