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Endless possibilities for debts and donations

So the saga continues. What baffles me is the reality of the disclosures that the ordinary man is required to make even if he sends or receives US$12,000. Try this at a bank or money changer and you will see the controls in place. The source and reasons for remitting or receiving are needed. Is there one requirement for the ordinary Malaysian and another for Umno politicians?

I suppose in a feudal and patronage culture one should expect uneven application of the same law. Now suddenly it is donations! Was there an earlier declaration? If there was none then there is a serious violation of regulatory requirements.

With all the tracking by the Sarawak Report and The Edge , the fact remains that money did go into the PM’s account. What it was for and that he had not benefited from the same are secondary issues. This is where we are dependent on Bank Negara. So, it is now admitted that it was for political donations as though this explains everything away and makes even regulatory requirements null and void. Do these politicians think Malaysians are that stupid?

The gap between what is said and what is done is increasing. The independent task force is now under investigation. People from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the Attorney-General’s Department, Bank Negara are all called by the police for questioning.

Paul Low, our Minister for Good Governance, Integrity and Human Rights, meanwhile assures us that he will ensure the independence of the task force in undertaking its duties. Where does he stand now?

The public accounts committee (PAC) meeting is now postponed and 1MDB officials have the audacity to inform them that they will not attend the scheduled meeting. Meanwhile, the spin continues. It is now donations that were in the PM’s AmBank accounts. Earlier we heard that Umno authorises its president to set up a trust fund. His spokespersons are fibbing without control because the agenda may be to create a smokescreen.

Various members of the task force are now being questioned albeit for disclosing information. There are indications that the same will be done to Bank Negara officials. So what does one surmise from these events? It is such actions that make citizens trust what Sarawak Report and other media have to say.

The government discredits itself by its very actions. Why have we not questioned the alleged individual who has opened accounts, transferred money into these accounts and then transferred these again and then closed the accounts.

This is transparency and accountability ‘a la Umno style’. This is part of the ‘endless opportunities for deception’ that Malaysia grants its ruling politicians. This should also be part of our message to attract tourists. Wine women and song was the ruse in the old days. Today this is updated to include ‘money, greed and power’.

Add to this the element of race together with the fear of losing power and you get our brilliant politicians who rationalise and justify what is being done. For years under the ruse of stability and economic development many were told not to ‘rock the boat’ and to accept corruption and mismanagement as a price to be paid for peace and stability.

This was the message that the BN coalition justified. Today we see where this has led us as a nation. One often wonders how well-educated men and women buckle under such flagrant mismanagement. The privilege to serve the nation, a unique opportunity, a promotion and better prospects are all used to justify resigning from  the PAC and joining the executive arm of government.

What about personal moral convictions and ethics, conscience and standards and the need to stand up for ‘what’ is right instead of ‘who’ is right. The moral compass has become distorted by self-interest and greed. What is not ‘halal’ cannot now be distinguished from what is ‘halal’ in the mad rush to become millionaires. For now everything is being reduced to a matter of interpretation.

Victims of their own temptations?

It is at times like this that we can really evaluate the state of our nation’s democracy. It is just amazing the corruption that holding onto power can breed. Our leaders have become victims of their own temptations? Look at the numerous presidents of South Korea who have had to face corruption charges. One even committed suicide. Let us consider Suharto of Indonesia, Marcos of the Philippines or even Narasimha Rao of India.

When leaders are caught they will do all under their means to survive. Today we are facing this survival instinct at work that knows that holding onto power is the only possibility. At no time in our nation’s history have we had a leader whose credibility has been so wanting. He can only survive by getting sycophants, cronies and others who can help decorate his credentials. Otherwise they will be removed if they sing to a different tune.

If ‘truth’ were on his side he would have stood up as a ‘Bugis warrior’ and faced the consequences squarely. He will not use his office overtly or covertly through intermediaries to cast fear, investigate the task force members and blame others for what is allegedly a wrong done by him in the very first instance.

He is the cause for all that we see happening. Be a man and put yourself under scrutiny. Have the courage to clear your name before the independent task force. No, with the cronies around him and with power, money and patronage he wields endless possibilities to twist and turn with one lie outdoing the other and before we know it the story line changes.

What started out as a misdemeanour on his part is now claimed to be a conspiracy to overthrow the Government by the whites, the foreigners as though to indicate that the locals are stupid. We now have a minister who is reported by the media as to have said, “Don’t believe Najib means don’t believe in Allah”. This is the height of sycophancy.

 Why does he have to replace the deputy prime minister (DPM), have a cabinet reshuffle and now investigate task force members and place the PAC on hold. This in itself shows how impotent is our legislature which is reduced to a mere rubber stamp. I am amazed that our intelligent PM does not realise that these steps do not contribute to enhancing his credibility even by a notch. In fact this indirectly convicts him.

This is an indictment on the state of our democracy and freedom and illustrates the power of the executive. For all his elegant silence we are now told that the money is not from 1MDB but are donations. The fact remains that the money was in accounts under the name of the PM. So far no one has challenged this fact.

Are we therefore to assume that the failure lies with the regulatory bodies than the account holder? Soon we will be told that these donations need not be disclosed. They will only be disclosed if the opposition parties also disclose their funding.

Putrajaya must be an ivory tower for our PM and party stalwarts are so out of touch with what is being said in homes, coffee shops and in conversations. Wake up and be realistic for otherwise Umno will continue on its downward slide to oblivion.

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