This week, a video clip went viral across Sabah in which a so-called “whistleblower” claimed that the prime minister’s office had given the green light to secretly record state politicians allegedly negotiating bribes for mineral licences.
Anwar Ibrahim’s name cropped up, and as expected, there was instant outrage from various quarters, denials, gasps, and drama.
The fallout from the video was speedy, and Anwar’s political secretary, Shamsul Iskandar Akin, resigned.
Shamsul reportedly stepped down on Nov 25, though whether it was in response to the video scandal or some other controversy remains murky. Actually, the timeline for this resignation in relation to the published video is as slippery as the integrity Madani promised us.
For those who care to remember, “Madani” was supposed to stand for civil, inclusive, and ethical governance. It was a promise of clean, accountable leadership that benefits all Malaysians, but the reality is far removed because Madani feels more like a catchy slogan than the substance it claims to represent.
Meanwhile, allegations swirled over proxies, meetings, and money. There were the usual denials, police reports, and counterclaims piling up faster than anyone could follow.
What we can be really sure of is that in Madani-land, the truth is like a moving target. More importantly, the MACC suddenly looked like it had been cast in the “conflicted investigator” role.
Some have asked a legitimate question: “Who watches over the official, designated watchers?” If the agencies meant to enforce integrity are tangled in proxy claims and political manoeuvring, accountability becomes a spectator sport.
Stepping down isn’t real reform
Anwar is wrong! A resignation alone doesn’t equal integrity.
Quick resignations are easy to celebrate, but they don’t replace proper vetting, oversight, or accountability. If the administration truly valued integrity, aides involved in misconduct shouldn’t have been appointed in the first place.
We all once believed in “change” or reform, but this now feels like a cold bucket of reality dumped over our heads. The patterns here aren’t new; they’re repetitive. They remind us of Umno-Baru. These new incidents are painfully déjà vu.
Sabah is just the visible symptom, because the root causes, such as weak oversight, lack of accountability, poor vetting of officials, and opaque processes, are nationwide problems. In other words, the Sabah scandal is like a freeze-frame, or snapshot of what is happening across the country.
The politicians may attempt to bluff and call this a “one-off scandal”; however, the Auditor-General’s 2025 report tells a different story: It’s not just one rotten apple, because it appears that the whole barrel may be spoiled.
The cracks are all over the place, and range from Felcra’s RM241.76 million oil‑palm plantation leasing deal to UKM’s RM66.64 million tenders. How did they fail basic scrutiny?
Then there are the defence procurements, the subsidised oil programmes, and the weak governance. These are not exactly the “civil, ethical governance” Madani promised us. The rot runs deep, and politicians in the government know that. For the rakyat, the supposedly “reformist” governance sounds nicer in speeches than in practice.
Different cast, same script
Madani’s catchy slogans, of clean, ethical leadership, sustainability, compassion, respect, and trust, are just that. Nice soundbites! The actors may be different, but the performance remains the same. Madani is no different from previous Umno-Baru/BN administrations.
As the evidence stacks up, with videos, resignations, audit failures, sketchy contracts, the question arises: Is this government sincere about change, or just new packaging for old tricks?
We used to blame the old guard in Umno-Baru, but now the players have changed, or maybe they just changed their jerseys.
When a head of the MACC becomes personally entangled in the very scandal he’s supposed to investigate, what does that tell us?
When university tenders worth tens of millions of ringgit slide through oversight like butter on hot toast, you don’t need drama, you just need accountability. We should demand ethical, transparent, and principled oversight.
When video leaks get censored online, it doesn’t mean the truth is missing; it means someone’s worried we might take note.
Some Malaysians may dismiss the wrongdoings, but don’t they care that this involves their money and their future?
Every shady contract, every backroom deal, every “friendly” tender quietly handed out is our money, taxpayers’ money. Our savings. Our children’s future.
Each time we look the other way, we are allowing all this to happen again. After decades of being abused by Umno and Umno-Baru, we should know that systems don’t reform themselves. They need pressure.
Real change requires public pressure
“Madani” was never about simply rewarding cronies with lucrative contracts. Hence, we should support independent investigations, share information and not just rely on state-owned media. More importantly, we should vote smart.
The next election should be about principles, governance, and accountability. It should not be about personalities.
The Sabah scandal should also teach politicians that the show is over. They cannot hoodwink the public with slogans anymore. They should prove it with “reforms”, audit the contracts, open the books, let investigators in, and let citizens watch.
We may be fed up with the politicians and their petty politics, but we are not stupid.
Sabah may be the sick man of Malaysia, but its symptoms can be treated. Institutions can be fixed. Governance can be restored.
We need to wake up, speak up, stand up, and demand the real change that we were promised.
Anwar should realise that words alone, like “Madani”, “integrity”, and “reform”, are not enough. - Mkini
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army, and the president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, X.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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