Shahbudin: Resist sweeping wrongdoing under the carpet

No one can get away with anything if the people are determined not to allow them to get away.

KUALA LUMPUR: It’s high time that the people rise up in defence of the nation and future generations, urged a political analyst. He warned in his latest blog posting that covering up wrongdoing and sweeping them under the carpet was not the way to enlist the confidence of the international community in the country. “The consumer sentiment and the confidence of investors in the people, government, economy, market, ringgit and country would be affected too.”

No one, he said, should think that he can act with impunity i.e. do what he or she likes and expect to get away. “No one can get away with anything if we are determined not to allow them to get away.”

Shahbudin Husin, the analyst, pointed out that it was really shameful that the world outside does not hesitate to investigate wrongdoing by Malaysians, at home and abroad, while the authorities concerned in the country maintain an ominous silence on the matter when they are not busy covering up or sweeping them under the carpet. “Who at this stage will replace Najib Abdul Razak as Prime Minister is a secondary matter. I will write about this separately.”

“What’s important now is that he must first be removed one way or another. The pressure must be maintained until he goes. We can no longer accept him as Prime Minister.

Najib’s departure, he added, can only bring good to the people and the country and their future. “He can longer face the international community or look other world leaders in the eye.”

“The departure of Najib will send a clear message and signal to others in the corridors of power to think twice before they convince themselves that they can act with impunity,” said the analyst. “They should not think that they can manipulate the system to cover-up wrongdoing and sweep things under the market.”

Shahbudin was commenting on a Federal Grand Jury convening in the US to examine allegations of corruption involving the Prime Minister and people linked to him on the matter. “What’s really shameful is that this investigation not only involves corruption and wrongdoing but also greed and recklessness in piling wealth of uncertain and dubious origin outside the country.”

“Meanwhile, consider the fate of the people especially in the kampungs who have to queue up to receive their RM500 BR1M once a year from the government. Compare their plight with the billions in ill-gotten gains being salted away overseas by those who claim to serve them.”

The analyst expects Najib to be faced with investigation after investigation, from all directions, in the wake of the US Federal Grand Jury convening on him. “This alone should convince the people in our country, from all walks of life, that Najib’s days are even more numbered now and he has no choice but to go and go soon. This time he doesn’t even have the luxury of working out an exit strategy.”

“Probably, the faithful at the Friday prayers would no longer pay any heed to the sermons put out by those in authority. They would be more focused on real issues connected with the Prime Minister.”

The analyst also goes into The New York Times (NYT) report on Monday on the US Federal Grand Jury on Najib. Malaysia’s Leader, Najib Razak, Faces U.S. Corruption Inquiry

Najib, noted the analyst, faces at least two other international investigations against him besides the US Federal Grand Jury i.e. one by the FBI and another by the Attorney-General in Switzerland.

There are also reports against him, said Shahbudin, in the UK, France, Hong Kong and Singapore.