AUGUST 7 ― "We are living in the most dangerous and interesting of times." ― Lim Kit Siang
If there is one thing anyone can be certain of, it is that there is never a dull moment in Malaysian politics.
In fact, even Hollywood dramas may not be able to serve us as much intrigue and plot twists as those who walk the corridors of power in our country.
The last two weeks in particular have been worthy of an episode of The House of Cards. Following on from recent developments that saw our prime minister’s allegedly questionable financial transactions exposed by the Wall Street Journal, a special taskforce comprising the Attorney-General, the Inspector-General of Police, the Governor of Bank Negara and the Commissioner of the MACC was formed to investigate the various allegations of misappropriation and corruption involving public funds.
As things began to heat up, with the taskforce announcing that six bank accounts had been frozen, the arrest of a few functionaries, and the suspension of two newspaper licenses, the deputy prime minister himself nearly brought it to boiling point when he gave a pointed speech that raised many questions ― the very same questions Malaysians everywhere are asking.
But while the prime minister had remained quiet thus far, his deputy’s antics appeared to be the last straw. In the span of a day, the long-serving Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail, along with the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and a few other Cabinet Ministers, were shockingly dismissed from their jobs.
Meanwhile, four members of the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC), which had been investigating the 1MDB scandal, were immediately promoted to ministerial positions.
Thus, in one fell swoop, the special taskforce, errant members of the Cabinet, as well as the PAC investigation, were all scuppered. Frank Underwood would have been proud.
Although the two main victims of the political drama, Tan Sri Muhyiddin and Tan Sri Gani, were not exactly well-liked by Malaysians, the prime minister’s actions only led to more questions from the public. I cannot recall any supportive comments on my Facebook timeline that entire day. If anything, most Malaysians felt that once again, abuse of power and corruption may go unpunished.
Downward spiral of doom
As Muhyiddin conveyed in the speech that led to his being axed, Malaysians, Umno members included, have been feeling frustrated by the entire 1MDB saga. This has not been helped by the prime minister’s inability to defend himself.
We all remember Datuk Seri Najib’s infamous “no show” at the Nothing2Hide forum, where he was expected to face the public with an explanation about the various allegations surrounding the sovereign fund. Certainly, the Internet mêmes that resulted were legendary, giving Datuk Ahmad Maslan a run for his money.
However, the fact remains that questions were unanswered. As the head of government, and simultaneously the Minister of Finance, the prime minister has a moral and public duty to be transparent and honest, especially in the face of what has been described as “the mother of the mother of the mother” of all scandals in the history of Malaysia.
Unfortunately, rather than coming clean, newspapers that dare to question are silenced, internal critics are co-opted, and those who don’t play ball are put to pasture.
Is there any hope?
The big question now is whether this doom that we are spiralling into is salvageable, or whether the Rubicon will be crossed by the time our country is saved from the clutches of this current corrupt and despotic government.
The answer to that question depends on whether we, Malaysians like you and me, are able to focus our unity and strength to reclaim our fundamental rights and liberties come the next General Election.
This is because it is only the democratic power of the people that can stop an autocratic regime that rules with impunity. We have already come so close in the last General Election. The next step may seem like the hardest, but it is also the most important one.
Is there hope for a better future for Malaysia? It all depends ― we have shown that we can talk the talk, but that is of no use if we do not also walk the walk. This August 29-30, Bersih will be organising the #Bersih4 rally as a peaceful show of force by ordinary Malaysians against electoral irregularities and political oppression.
If you believe in a better Malaysia, then walk the walk. Join #Bersih4!
*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
