The present situation is a culmination of decades of practising a culture of money power, patronage, gerrymandering, cronyism and corruption. This is not something that has suddenly evolved. The stark reality is that all the component parties within the Barisan Nasional (BN) employ the same strategy. Some of our present leaders have nearly three or more decades of experience in this culture.

What does such a culture do not only to the individual but also to others who are part of the party? Money becomes an attraction and the notion that you get into politics because there is money to be made gains currency. Is this is not true for all the BN component parties? Consider the undue wealth of some of the former BN party leaders which gives currency to this perception. In fact some are even promoted to become yang di pertua negeri

Where are the new young outstanding leaders within these parties? Who can thrive when these parties manipulate democratic principles by qualifying those eligible to cast their votes and regularly postpone their own party general elections? What will inspire a young person to join them? Just consider the leadership within Umno and you can sense the rot that is taking place.

This is further confirmed by the manner in which finances in the country are managed. Recently we heard of RM100 million squandered within the Youth and Sports Ministry, then millions squandered by the Immigration Department as per the audit report, which also speaks of gains by syndicates running into billions of ringgit.

An audit is always on a sample and if the present sample of probably 10 percent of all government transactions reveals this then what would be the total loss if all the various ministries and departments were closely audited. Would our annual leakages run into twenty to thirty billion ringgit annually? What does this say about the culture and discipline of His Majesty’s Civil Service?

One evaluation of the state of politics today is the reality that Umno has become more powerful at the expense of the other component parties within the coalition. They remain the drivers and providers and those component party leaders who won with less than a 500 majority have done so because of the support of Umno. This is why they are weak.

BN as a whole and these parties are not addressing the question as to why they have lost popular support. They are focussing on the negative and bashing DAP and the other opposition parties. While the ruling coalition lost the popular vote at the last elections, they have through alleged gerrymandering retained their grip on power. There is an absence of honest critiques or an attempt to change.

No great cause to champion

When a party is motivated purely by race as its agenda then this is the result. BN has no great cause to champion except race and this is divisive. While race-mongering can provide votes, it damages the fabric of both national unity and race relations within the nation. We have the intentions and the slogans but not the political will power to transcend issues of race.

Our problem is not race but an addiction to greed and power. If race and religion has to be manipulated in order to hold onto power then so shall it be. The disguised ‘hudud’ bill is a case in point. Jump the queue, hold no discussions and just have it tabled. Well, if money can buy power and loyalty, then this is not surprising. What is the deal with PAS?

At a time of fasting and reflection many must wonder how things can continue. They recognise the hypocrisy of the leaders but are unable to do much because many remain cogs in the wheel that moves. Take a stand or be a whistleblower and there is a heavy price to pay. The system is against the honest individual. Speak to some of the certified integrity officers and they will share their plight.

The system has got so corrupted that even good men are manipulated to give it a shine. It is good that Wahid Omar has left and Idris Jala is no more in government. Paul Low continues and it is people like this who sell as short. They reduce the price of integrity and ethics by glorifying what cannot be glorified, providing a shine without any polish.

One must at a time like this salute the stand taken by men like Mustapha Kamil, former group editor of New Straits Times (NST), who has stood up to express his reservations against an increasingly authoritarian stand taken by the current government towards the media.

With scandalous but accurate exposures made by the foreign press they have to resort to using the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to deal with the local online media. The Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia salutes Mustapha Kamil for your courage of conviction.

He resigned because of his commitment to the ‘Ethics of Journalism’. We have BN ministers who are accountants and lawyers who close their eyes to the ethics of their professions and subscribe to the ethics as practiced by our political leaders which is to close their eyes, ears and be silent to the obvious wrong doings. Loyalty ethics is the name of the game.

Loyalty ethics affects all our institutions of governance be it Parliament, judiciary, police force or the Attorney-General’s Chambers to name a few. It is about promotions, privileges, titles and patronage powerful forces in a feudal society.

A lawyer indicated to me that law today is only as good as a judge who reads, understands and applies the law. Otherwise the law is only as good as the judge! Get a judge who is loyal to the establishment or an attorney-general and the verdict is anyone’s guess.

Loyalty ethics brings quick rewards. The names of some individuals who were recipients of titles on the occasion of His Majesty’s birthday highlight the power of patronage. There are people who will sell their souls and there are many who recognise what is wrong but have to suffer in silence because they are unable to pay the price as they need the job to survive.

Loyalty ethics breeds a culture that rots from within and the lifestyle of our rich and powerful politicians, whether in the mainland or in East Malaysia, sets the nation on a perilous road that does great damage to our future generations.