Zaid: Malays concerned about whisky drinkers, not 1MDB

Malays do not regard honesty as a premium quality for leaders to have, so long as the leaders share in the spoils.

KUALA LUMPUR: If Malays find that their leaders are drinking whisky or wine or do not go to Friday prayers, said former de facto Law Minister Zaid Ibrahim, they will march the streets and demand those leaders to resign.

However, he added, it’s a different matter when it comes to stealing, whether from the state or someone else.

“Malays, generally speaking, do not feel the sense of anger or revulsion against leaders who are corrupt, or who steal from state coffers.”

“Taking money from unauthorized sources is something they can tolerate because it’s already part of their lifestyle. Malays under the New Economic Policy (NEP) cannot tell when things are theirs or belong to the state.”

Zaid charged that Malays do not regard honesty as a premium quality for leaders to have, so long as the leaders share in the spoils.

“Stealing occurs at various levels in Malay society; only the amount differs from person to person.”

The former de facto Law Minister was explaining why Najib Abdul Razak was still riding high as Prime Minister despite being embroiled in the greatest financial scandal the country has ever seen. “Nothing much will change my friends.”

“Why change Najib at all when the chances of his successor, whether from Umno, PAS or PKR, will have the same traits, will steal from public coffers, will tolerate corrupt political allies; will enrich his friends and cronies, but will share some of the spoils with a very forgiving rakyat?”

Zaid appears convinced that when a Malay leader from the Opposition one day forms the Federal Government, he or she will also benefit from this cultural uniqueness not found anywhere in other communities in the civilised world, feeling blasé when it comes to abuse of power and taking money from the government.

He charged that the attitudes of PAS, Umno and PKR on this issue support his argument that Malays have high tolerance for corruption and abuse of power. “They talk about the huge debts incurred by 1MDB; but they will not compile a list of Najib’s wrongdoings so that he can be prosecuted.”

“They will not march the street to demand Najib be arrested.”

None of them, he pointed out, with the exception of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, dare to talk openly about Najib allegedly stealing money or being allegedly involved in money laundering. “They dare not talk about Najib subverting the cause of justice by dismissing the former Attorney-General (AG), and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC); or colluding with the new AG, or effectively disbanding the 1MDB taskforce and facilitating the illegal transfer of officers from the MACC to other departments.”

The Opposition was in partnership with PAS in Selangor, yet PAS supports Najib all the way and yet DAP and PKR do not at all feel necessary to disband the Pakatan alliance in Selangor, lamented Zaid. “Remaining in power is of overriding importance, so important that DAP and PKR are willing to sacrifice the principle of honest government.”

So their table thumping antics in Parliament are just for show, said Zaid. “They play along with Najib and the Speaker and participate in the fanciful charade that is the 1MDB Q&A session by asking questions they know they won’t get real answers to, but they do not have the guts to shun PAS or boycott Najib and his Ministers.”

“They want to rule Selangor at all cost.”