As the scandal gets worse, Malaysians are worst affected

As the 1MDB scandal gets worse, and no one is being held accountable for it, it is the ordinary Malaysians who are worst affected.

Since the scandal of RM2.6 billion (being funnelled into Najib’s private bank accounts) was first exposed by the Wall Street Journal and Sarawak Report, both Malaysians and the international community have raised eyebrows and expressed concerns over the country’s future.

With the current economic condition, it makes it makes it more difficult for the ordinary Malaysians who have to make ends meet. We are the ones who are suffering, some in silence because we do not want to lose our pensions.

But is that how Malaysians should react when they see a scandal before their eyes? Or, have we become too indifferent towards evil that we allow it to continue to rule our land and rob us of the blessings that God himself has given to us?

Compared to Singapore, which started a nation with zero resources, except human talents, Singaporeans are enjoying a higher income per capita than Malaysia, which is rich in natural resources.

The island republic does not even have bauxite, but our failure to manage the natural resources in Pahang has created a major disaster to the people living in Kuantan.

Blame others for own failure

It is not the traders alone to be blamed. It is easy to deflect the blame on others, but a government that is accountable to the people or people-centric would take responsibility in the way the country is run. Cost of living has skyrocketed since the subsidies were cut and world oil prices went down.

Although other countries do not impose the Goods and Services Tax (GST), the items that we purchase from them are taxed on GST, making things a lot more expensive when they eventually end up in our hands.

Blaming these traders alone for the rising cost of living, without first addressing the issue of corruption at the highest level, is not going to solve the suffering of ordinary Malaysians.

At the same time I can understand parents’ sentiments whose children’s future is now at stake. Although parents cannot expect the government to fund their children’s education, most people do not have the means to provide the best of education to their children.

Therefore, the withdrawal of the Public Services Department (JPA) scholarship will only mean that a generation of future leaders will be deprived of quality education, when we all know that we are still short of quality professionals.

As someone who has been involved with the local tertiary education for more than 10 years, I can vouch that what the local institutions of higher learning (with the exception of a handful of good private universities) can offer to their students is nothing compared to the education that I received in Australia.

It is the same reason why parents hesitate to send their children to public schools these days. Some in Johor Baru, for example, would not mind the hassles to even send their children to Singapore where they believe their children could get better education.

If Najib is honest about it, public coffers are already low; otherwise, he would not have told the public servants that their employment is due to the GST collected. As our coffers are drying up, will we be able to face the current economic challenges and oil slump?

If it is true that the GST was meant to save the people, going by a series of reports tracing the source of the money (RM42 million) to the Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP), Najib has a lot of explanations to make.

Waiting for the new drama to unfold

Here in Malaysia, websites may be blocked, cases closed by the attorney-general, and crimes can be covered up (often using the legitimate tools such as the Official Secrets Act), while political dissenters are thrown into prison.

Those who dare to investigate and draw up charges are being transferred or unceremoniously dropped. At this juncture, Kevin Morais’ brutal murder raises a lot of questions and Malaysians cannot wait for the new drama to unfold before they form an opinion on what could have happened.

But, as we are all part of a global village, we can be assured that criminals will not escape the long arm of law. Najib does not have to fear if he is not involved in the scandal but eventually, those who are involved in the crime, or protecting the criminals, will have to face the consequences of their own actions.

The Buddhists and the Hindus believe in the law of karma. The Muslims believe that one will receive his ‘pahala’ for his or her actions. And I, as a Christian, believe that “whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap”. This is a universal law. There is no doubt about it.

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STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008. -Mkini