Buka Puasa At Istana - My Ex-Con Ok Your Banduan Not Ok

 There has been some flap about the Agong's recent dinner guests. Here is a picture and a comment by Dr Bakri Musa (I received this in the Whatsapp.  My apologies upfront to Dr Bakri if this did not originate from you Sir, I am taking it as is. ).

 

So there is/are convicted criminal(s) in the picture. But that is the point exactly. Just how many convicted criminals are there in this picture? One? Or two?

Before that here is more comment on the same issue by Apanama (truncated):

http://www.apanama.my/2022/04/penjenayah-dalam-istana.html?m=1

APANAMA

Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Penjenayah dalam Istana

Mahkamah Rayuan kekalkan hukuman penjara 12 tahun (Najib) 
Mahkamah Rayuan merumuskan Najib 'national embarrassment'.
Inilah fakta akan kedudukan Najib sebagai penjenayah 
bagaimana Najib dibenar masuk Istana Negara?
KSN dan Ketua Hakim Negara juga hadir
turut dihadiri Perdana Menteri

mempertahankan kesucian institusi serta kedaulatan undang-undang
Ramai terkejut, persoal kenapa Agong di letakkan keadaan serba salah (awkward position) kerana terpaksa duduk di meja utama (high table) bersama seorang penjenayah.  

'penjenayah duduk bersama Agong di hadapan Ketua Hakim Negara'
Apakah mesej yang ingin di sampaikan?
Kejadian ini harus disiasat 
kita mesti bertindak melindungi Agong dan Institusi Raja Melayu dari di-aibkan

My Comments :

Correction : Someone just told me the Chief Justice was NOT at the dinner. I am amending the post a little. I hope Apanama can verify. 

Najib's final appeal is now before the Federal Court.

Apanama suggests that the YDP Agong has been put in an awkward position. Bakri Musa says otherwise.  

Just after Najib was first charged in Court I met an old ex-AG at some function. He  said that Malaysia wanted to show the world that we are a 'Rule of law' country when it came to handling Najib's corruption. Everything must be done strictly by the book. Which is why he is still walking around talking crap, getting invited to the Istana and stuff. Ok fine.

 

But let me tell you this - on the whole, the vast majority of Malaysians (Malays, non Malays, Muslims, non Muslims) are not happy at all to see Najib walking around making stupid speeches (I say Bugis man, you need a new communications team lah - third class content), getting invited to the Istana etc. And eventually the people will blame the government. So if UMNO loses seats in the next General Elections (remember UMNO won the minority votes in Johor) then you can also blame it on the people's anger with Najib still walking around. The headbone is connected to the shoulder bone.

 

But coming back to the picture of the Agong's dinner guests above. There is another ex-convict in that picture. How come no one is complaining about Pintu Belakang's presence?

 

Pintu Belakang was also sentenced to jail twice by the same Courts, through the same Court processes, after exhausting the same appeals processes. He fully completed one jail term and was almost finishing his second jail term when he was hastily pardoned by a King who then quit the throne almost as hastily. How come no one is complaining about Pintu Belakang's presence at the Istana?  N'withstanding the royal pardon, he remains a person who was once convicted of crimes. A royal pardon is NOT an acquittal. The royal pardon does not reverse the crimes that were committed. It is merely a royal dispensation. 

Since 1998 we are seeing Prime Ministers, Deputy Prime Ministers, First Lady's, Ministers, their wives, their family members making all the wrong headlines. There is even a new phrase in the country 'Kluster Mahkamah' or 'Court Cluster' crafted specifically to describe these people.

 

Since 1998  Malaysian politicians have become the main cast in a cheap Third World soap opera.  Even before 1998 there were crooked politicians but none of them got invited for dinner at the Istana. Or were so cheap in their behaviour.

At the end of the day it depends on what Malaysians want. It depends on what Malaysians are. 

 

If Malaysians are of the view that 'my ex-con is ok, your banduan is not ok' then indeed your ex-con WILL get invited to the Istana for dinner.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.