SEPT 9 — We’ve seen so many things happening these days that we can’t help but realise how vital it is for a country to operate normally. This is also the key that holds many Malaysians together. Everything seems not quite right in a country that is not functioning normally.

After The Wall Street Journal’s exposé early July of the US$700 million (RM2.6 billion) parked in the PM’s private accounts, he vowed to sue the media giant while a special task force was hastily formed to probe this matter.

All these are normal steps to take as a country’s image can only be preserved if the reputation of its leader is intact. Indeed, finding out the truth is very much the essence of the rule of law spirit.

But, what about the charge against WSJ now? The AG was removed; senior MACC and police officers transferred to the PM’s department; and the special task force was dissolved. These are all not normal or reasonable, to say the least.

So, who is currently taking charge of the 1MDB probe? The system has now come under menace, and is there anyone who can come to the rescue of the integrity of our judiciary and enforcement agencies?

The core issue of the $700 million scandal lies with who made the donation and where the money has gone from the PM’s accounts.

NGO leaders attending the just concluded 16^th IACC in Putrajaya came under assault for questioning the “political donation.” They were accused of being utilized by recycled, inaccurate allegations with the ill motive of interfering in the country’s politics.

Since when has our country become so resistant to dissident remarks and suggestions? Served with such responses from the Malaysian government, these foreign graft-busting experts must be thinking this country is very weird and strange!

In the meantime, Bersih 4.0 was a rally initiated by the people with a clear cut appeal but absolutely nothing to do with race nor any threat to challenge the rights of any community. Despite the fact that many of Bersih 2.0’s leaders are Malays, their assembly is deliberately labeled a race-motivated one.

On the contrary, the highly intimidating Red Shirts rally scheduled on September 16 has received the blessings of many politicians. What kind of logic is that?

Even at such an unusual timing of tense interracial relationship, our political leaders remain largely indifferent, severely lacking a sober, reasonable mind.

For example, our minister has proposed a Malays-only Low Yat 2 with the evil motive of further polarizing the rakyat. If every ethnic community in this country were to have its own shopping malls, the nation will be torn apart in no time.

A former opposition leader advocating non-racist politics has now turned racist after joining a government institution, slamming Bersih 4.0 for hurting the feelings of the Malays.

Sure enough there are anomalies in the opposition as well. PAS members used to be very loyal in the past, but more recently we have see an exodus of party members so much so that they were required to sign a declaration to divorce their wives if hey were to defect one day. It is very unwise to implicate the wives in politics!

The party brought a great deal of trouble to Pakatan Rakyat during the Selangor MB crisis and its hudud insistence, eventually leading to the demise of the opposition pact. What is confounding us is that PKR leaders remain indecisive today whether to rope in PAS when putting up Pakatan 2.0.

A party that stubbornly goes its religious way and backs PM Najib does not go well with the political direction of PKR, which is nevertheless opportunistically wooing the Islamist party in a bid to secure more Malay ballots and hence, the ticket to Putrajaya.

The country has become abnormal because we have a plethora of abnormal politicians who are so obsessed with nothing else but selfishness and personal grudges. To them the country’s interests, their own noble principles and objectives have all become so distant and alien now.

It is essential to tune back the hearts of the people, in particular political leaders, before we can actually bring the nation back on the right track. Things will only get back to normal if we selflessly set aside our preoccupations

If our political leaders cannot even settle their inner problems, how do we expect them to resolve the country’s many problems? It is time for our political leaders to reflect on themselves why they no longer command the respect of the masses.

We are not yet a failed state, but if what is abnormal is perceived as normal by the majority of people, then we are not that far from being a failed state any more.

* This is the personal opinion of the organisations and not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.