The current mood is obvious: Malaysians have had enough of corruption and are not in any state, divine or otherwise, to forgive or forget. Those who entered politics to jump on the gravy train had better be aware that crime does not pay.
Some people have ignored the fact that Najib Razak was fined RM210 million, a hefty sum that can be used to help the lower-income B40 and poverty-stricken areas of Sabah.
That amount is not a measly fine of a few thousand ringgit for stealing a can of sardine or a loaf of bread: it was a hefty fine for stealing from people in what was described as the biggest kleptocratic case in the world by the US justice department.
What is baffling is the loose talk about a pardon for Najib, before and after he was jailed. Some people treat it as a special case but no one is even talking about a pardon for the often ignored, downtrodden people punished for stealing a can of sardine or a loaf of bread to feed their starving family,
There is still grave injustice in our legal and value system where more weight is given to people with titles and money rather than ordinary folk.
While many are savouring Najib’s jail term with delight, we should at least try to analyse the root cause and try not to repeat the same mistakes.
We can start with Umno, the dominant Malay party which Najib led for some time. This is not to say other political parties are clean. They all have hidden skeletons in their closet.
It can be said that Najib is a product of a political party culture. In the book, The End of Umno? a collection of essays by prominent scholars, Saifuddin Abdullah, a one-time Umno stalwart said in the foreword:
“Politics needs money. But money must never be the reason for politics. It must be regulated. It becomes wrong when money is used to advance political expediency. Yet because money politics is now a norm, some Umno members do not see it as money politics or as a wrong, or they simply ignore it. What’s worse is that some actually like it because they thrive on it.”
Saifuddin pronounces what is wrong with the Umno of today.
Najib is one person, but we can’t ignore the current Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and state Umno leaders like Bung Moktar Radin, who have also been charged with corruption. Money politics has spread throughout the party and the top honcho in the party thrives on it without remorse. Money has become something of a God-given right, an entitlement.
In the book, Saifuddin questions whether Umno is really fighting for the Malays. “Umno prides itself upon the idea that it is the only party that fights for the survival, welfare and progress of the Malays”.
Najib’s imprisonment and the long list of corruption cases involving top Umno leaders proves that it is no longer the case.
“Maruah Melayu” and the fanfare of October 2019 has been dented and hopefully it can be salvaged at some future date. As they say, pride comes before the fall.
What drives the behaviour of people like Najib, born with a silver spoon in their mouths? Part of the blame should go to the environment he operates in and the long list of “yes men” that fed his ego and covered up his crimes.
The list of transgressors includes civil servants, banking institutions, party die-hards, security apparatus and the legal system, all complicit in the 1MDB money trail. It’s easy to deny complicity by saying “saya ikut arahan”. Collectively they all failed to make Malaysia function as a country based on the rule of law.
Najib’s case reflects a colossal systemic failure. While some like former prime minister Muhyddin Yassin are quick to claim credit for Najib’s downfall, Muhyiddin should recognise that 1MDB was caused by more than one person.
Political parties have established a reward system of patronage and blind loyalty. This is what Najib meant when he said “cash is king” – everybody has a price.
The situation is the same with die-hard Trump supporters in America who cling to every word he says, such as his claim that drinking bleach would kill the Covid-19 virus.
In May 2018, after the fall of Barisan Nasional, Khairy Jamaluddin said in a media interview about 1MDB: “What happened was we became delusional; we got drunk on our own Kool-Aid and we got carried away.
“This must not happen again, we must not ever allow our leaders in Umno to be detached from reality and not ask tough questions. If we continue with our feudal mindset of protecting the leader from the truth, Umno will go extinct”.
1MDB is Umno’s “monkey on the back”. Four years down the road, things have not changed. There does not seem to be any remorse from Najib’s side or any of his supporters. They still hold to the belief that Najib is innocent and a victim of the judicial process. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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