Light at the end of corruption tunnel with Najib’s jailing

MP SPEAKS | Today’s launch in Penang of Tony Pua’s Langkah Sheraton NFT project takes place at a critical time in the nation’s history.

After 30 months of blackest despair, despondency, dejection and even hopelessness following the Sheraton Move political conspiracy which toppled the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government, there is now light at the end of the tunnel that Malaysia will not end up as a failed state like Sri Lanka.

With the jailing of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, there is hope that Malaysia can reset and correct the wrong turn we have taken in nation-building in the last half a century, deviating from the nation-building principles our founding fathers have entrenched in the Malaysian Constitution and Rukun Negara – constitutional monarchy, parliamentary democracy, separation of powers, rule of law, good governance, public integrity, meritocracy, respect for human rights and national unity from our multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural diversity where there are no first-class and second-class citizens whether based on race, religion or region.

These nation-building principles set out in the Malaysian Constitution and the Rukun Negara are the formula for success for Malaysia to be a great world-class nation, while deviation from them will see Malaysia end up as a kleptocracy, a kakistocracy, a failed and a rogue state.

Nobody was sure whether Najib will go to jail for the monstrous mega 1MDB scandal, which had given Malaysia the worldwide infamy of a kleptocratic state as the erosion of the nation-building principles had been quite widespread and deep-rooted to the extent that many Malaysians wondered whether fundamental nation-building principles like the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and good governance still hold sway in Malaysia.

Najib’s going to jail shows that our nation-building principles have not been eroded beyond redemption, our institutions have not been damaged beyond repair and there is still hope for the future for all Malaysians.

Malaysia believes in the doctrine of separation of powers among the executive, legislature and judiciary.

But over the last half of a century, there had been a too powerful executive at the expense of both the legislature and the judiciary, resulting in the cover-up of many scandals and abuses of power with the country losing out to one country after another in various fields of human endeavour.

The 13th Parliament, for instance, was used to cover up the 1MDB scandal and if not for the “political miracle” of May 9, 2018, in the 14th General Election, which toppled the seemingly invincible Umno-BN political hegemony, Malaysia will still be at odds with the world with regard to the 1MDB scandal and Malaysian kleptocracy.

Judges must now save Malaysia

I told a former judge at the wake of DAP founding chairman Dr Chen Man Hin last Saturday that the judges must now save Malaysia by upholding the founding nation-building principle of the country so that Malaysia can achieve its destiny to become a world-class nation, especially with regard to the rule of law, the doctrine of separations of powers and good governance.

There is considerable nervousness in the nation as no one was sure of the outcome of Najib’s SRC appeal at the Federal Court.

As a result of the Federal Court’s decision on Tuesday, the black clouds of despair, dejection, despondency and even hopelessness are beginning to disperse, for there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

The 22-month Pakatan Harapan government was the first step in the long struggle to make Malaysia a world-class great nation as nowhere in the world is it possible to achieve in 22 months an electoral mandate meant to be implemented in five years.

The past 30 months after the Sheraton Move conspiracy have shown that we must return to the founding nation-building principles if Malaysia is to fulfil its destiny to become a great world-class nation – and that patriotic Malaysians, whether in the country or in the worldwide Malaysian diaspora, must not lose hope but dare to dream the Malaysian Dream. - Mkini

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LIM KIT SIANG is the Iskandar Puteri MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.