In the past week or so, Malaysian youths have spoken on an issue that has baffled many of us who have read the international news sphere, especially that coming out from the United States of America.

In July, we were informed through media - not our mainstream, of course, since this news ‘missed their deadlines’ - that the US Department of Justice was filing a civil suit and seizing assets of those who misappropriated the funds from Malaysian corporation, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

In their press briefing and subsequent statements, the authorities in the US mentioned that someone designated as ‘Malaysian Official 1' (abbreviated to MO1) had benefited from this con. Sadly, there has been no subsequent action from our financial or even legal authorities against whoever this is.

As such, as the spokesperson for Tangkap MO1 is correct in her question recorded at UiTM Sri Iskandar.

We have been robbed. Why are we all so relaxed?

In response to this, the youth wishes to host a protest rally asking the authorities to act by arresting the alleged official and making him stand trial - after all, he or she does need to answer for taking monies that were from a Malaysian government enterprise.

So why is the government and its supporters so against it?

Here are youths telling the authorities to go out and arrest and recover Malaysian money taken from a Malaysian company under the Malaysian Finance Ministry.

Not only is it a pro-government protest, but one that encourages the Malaysian authorities to take action against someone who is in government that has corrupted true nations coffers for personal gain.

How can you not support such an action and call yourself a sitting member of government?

How can you expect them to sit down and study, graduating with debts, whilst someone has pilfered the funds that were meant to be spent on developing a future for them?

Thus, I ask again, what is the problem for the government?

Today, the red shirts came out to say that this is a front for the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0).

Well, perhaps the red shirts would like to also join the protest demanding the arrest and investigation of a Malaysian official who managed to take billions away from bumiputera development causes as well?

Because if we are clear about 1MDB’s projects, the monies were taken from a company that was supposed to develop an entirely new development with social housing, power plants which should’ve effectively lowered our tariffs and even a new stock exchange which would have provided a rare metal exchange that would have benefited those in natural resource mining.

At the same time, who can forget how 1MDB helped the bumiputeras by sending them for haj and even the multiple touted corporate social responsibility projects they’ve been harping about on their website.

As fighters for the so-called Malay community, how are the red shirts putting this down? Petty jealousy, or further proof that they’re merely thugs on a political payroll?

‘MO1 conned an entire nation’

MO1 as an individual conned an entire nation by taking money meant for a company to develop their projects and did God knows what with it. Meanwhile, others involved used the cash to invest in casinos and clubs, villas, a movie, lavish parties and even fine art - all at the expense of the Malaysian taxpayer.

Some may argue that this was money from 1MDB’s Arab partners, but guess what? We will have to foot the bill since it was a loan.

Thus, the money must be returned. MO1 has to return whatever funds he received, and even serve time for accepting it.

As such, there is nothing wrong about this protest for either the government or even their supporters to harp about. It is an anti-corruption rally against someone who conned the Malaysian government.

Also, since the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), these youths are inevitably also taxpayers and thus, have paid for the maintenance of Federal Territories, including Dataran Merdeka managed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

Apologies to Nazri Aziz, but these youths paid for ‘that house’ indirectly for the past two years.

So, why are we stopping them?

The only reason anyone would be stopping them would be out of concern that perhaps they themselves took money from MO1, or believe they know who MO1 is and are supporting his continued corrupt malpractices in governance because it is in their favour and benefit to do so.

If this is the case, then perhaps those in government and their supporters should admit their faults and return whatever cash they got. Because either now or later, that reckoning they delay will come.

May not be this youth protest, may not be an economic meltdown, may not even be the next general election or a few after those. But we all know that whatever corruption will be exposed, and when it does, those still alive to benefit from it will be held answerable and justice will be served.

That’s not a threat. It’s just how the world works.

Perhaps you forgot, these youths will outlive us all to see that it happens.