Rosmah’s great “escape”: Another nail in the coffin for Madani’s anti-corruption crusade?

 

FORMER first lady Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor has left the building…with a very wide smile on her face.

Why? Because the prosecution has withdrawn its appeal against a High Court decision that acquitted and discharged the wife of disgraced former premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak of 12 charges of money laundering involving more than RM7 mil and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).

However, news of this withdrawal was greeted with less enthusiasm online, as commenters poured scorn on the Attorney General Chambers (AGC) for its apparent lack of spine in pursuing justice in this instance.

The mood on the ground, or at least in cyberspace, was largely one of anger, confusion and plain dismay at this perceived failure of the local justice system.

Many posts on social media lay the blame squarely at the door of the Madani administration for failing to live up its much-trumpeted promises of reform and to stamp out corruption.

As pointed out by eKharus™ (@ekharus) on X, “under Madani zero sharks have gone to jail.” Underlining the sense of disillusionment over the current government’s war on graft, the poster declared that “#korupsikayangan thrives under Madani”, with the hashtag insinuating that corruption was still rife among the elite class.

Also on the same thread, Zmeera (@zestymeera) exemplified the fed-up citizen who has since becoming acquainted with various legal terminology such as ‘DNAA’ (dismissal not amounting toacquittal) and ‘NFA’ (no further action).

These terms have become synonymous with a ‘talk only, no action’ government with this obviously infuriated commenter declaring: “Infuriating. Has madani secured any convictions? All I see is DNAA, NFA, drop this and drop that AGC and a shiok sendiri globe-trotting kepala.”

Echoing this sentiment was e-hailing driver Alawiyah Yussof (@Alawiyah Yussof) who felt let down by this decision to not further pursue this case. Sarcastically congratulating the AGC on a job well done, she suggested “let’s do the same for other cases too.”

Many citizens are beginning to feel short-changed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s reformist battle cry to stamp out corruption.

Political and social commenter FreeMalaysian (@FreeMsian) caustically observed: “Anwar Ibrahim has no shame in claiming he fights corruption while his AG let massively corrupt people free.”

Pointing out several truisms was author of Rediscovering Malaysia, Mikhail Hafiz (@IMMikhailhafz) who noted that “justice must not only be done, but also be seen to be done”.

Adding former UK PM William Gladstone’s observation that “justice delayed is justice denied” to the equation, this poster undeniably feels that the system has failed.

Each case must stand on its own merits but as the many posts on social media indicate, there is an overwhelming sense of disappointment that the AGC decided not to pursue this appeal.

Right or wrong, there is a perception that the big fish are getting away with their crimes with impunity whist the rakyat continues to shoulder the burden.

Lest it be forgotten, the Madani administration is in Putrajaya on the back of much heralded reforms, not least in combatting graft. At the moment, it looks like it is losing the war, at least in the court of public opinion. ‒  Focus Malaysia