Asian values. At the height of their power, both Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew and Malaysia's Dr Mahathir Mohamad, were arguably the main architects and advocates of Asian values.
The two men may differ in their methods, but both claimed that Asians valued their community; whereas Westerners emphasised the self; Asians desired order and harmony, whilst Western communities treasured personal freedom.
If you're Malay you will be aware that when a corrupt relative, is finally exposed by a third party, the family goes into a frenzy to contain the fallout from the activities of the corrupt man.
Non-Malay friends tell me that the same thing happens in their households. They may not condone what the corrupt person has done, but neither will they "name and shame him".
Are these Asian values? You will be expected to toe the line, to keep quiet and not bring shame on the family.
The corrupt man enjoys a form of unofficial protection. He triumphs, and is free to repeat his crime.
The situation gets worse the higher the public position of the individual. His powerful friends will rally round him, not because of concern, but because they want to protect their own positions.
It is like belonging to a triad. Each gang member swears allegiance to the triad. If one falls down, the others go to his defence, to stop him from exposing more secrets of the organisation, which may cause the premature downfall of the triad.
Corruption takes many forms, with money and morals being the most easily recognisable forms.
The Malaysian CID chief who was alleged to have been involved in a suspicious money laundering operation in Australia must have family, both immediate and extended, who realise that his monthly wage, could not have sustained his and his children's lifestyle. Perhaps, the extended family members also enjoy his largesse and are content to keep quiet, to maintain the status quo.
The teacher cum high ranking MIC official who raped teenage girls, in exchange for jobs, must have been "protected" by both family members and his party.
The teenager whose plight was exposed a few months ago, is not the first and only female who was preyed upon. What happened to follow-up investigations?
It is alleged that there are many religious heads, philanthropists and supposedly respectable individuals, whose morals have been corrupted by money.
During his heyday, Mahathir was known to rule with an iron fist, but no-one recalls singers and actresses, openly criticising his regime. Today, Sheila Majid (photo) and a string of celebrities have made their feelings known about Najib's poor leadership, rising corruption and the state of the nation.
During the Reformasi era, cartoonists, like Zunar would draw Mahathir with his distinct "Mahathiresque" nose when depicting the Formula One circuit. Zunar was not repeatedly charged with sedition, nor was he slapped with a travel ban.
We keep a so-called respectful silence about our elders, leaders and family members, even if they are guilty of wrong-doing. These Asian values are not confined to the family, and also include the Asean family.
Last week, the Thai cartoonist, named Stephff, shone the spotlight on Najib, when his cartoon appeared in a Thai newspaper called The Nation. Stephff had drawn Najib with a Pinnochio nose shaped like a tree, with the branches showing words like "corruption", "Scorpene" and "Altantuya".
The previous week, the Indonesian magazine Tempo, ran a series of cartoons by Zunar (photo) to mock Najib's rule.
The South China Morning Post has also featured cartoons that criticise Najib's autocratic government. One cartoon was titled, "Why pinch when you can punch?"
The China Daily published a cartoon showing Najib's insensitivity and fondness for taking selfies. In one drawing, the wreckage of MH370 is visible in the background, whilst a smiling Najib took a selfie with Obama.
The Myanmar artist, Kyaw Thu Yein, in The Irrawaddy, mocked Najib in a cartoon called "Najib Razak's Stunt" for his false concern for the Rohingyas, whilst juggling his own corruption issues.
Asians will be the first to admit that it is not in their nature to have direct confrontations. They prefer to assume a neutral stance, but Najib's callous rule has made these cartoonists break their deferential Asian nature.
What message is sent out, when previously economically and democratically worse-off nations, like Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand lampoon Najib in cartoons?
We have not given up on Asian values, because the fact of the matter is, that things have become much worse in Malaysia.
If you want the nation to move forward, the solution is simple.
First, we must change our individual attitudes. Stop protecting corrupt family members. Only then can both society and the country progress. Asian values should not support corruption, in any form, in any place.
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