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Corruption as a way of life became firmly established in Malaysian national life under Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Cronyism in education, business, and politics, and indeed every other aspect of Malaysian national life was then firmly established.

When Mahathir's Malaysia was likened with Suharto's Indonesia in the Asian Financial Crisis in 1998, he promptly made public the huge lists of beneficiaries of Umno and Barisan Nasional with his infamous 'Crony List'.

The numerous Umno and BN political bigwigs, cronies and relatives who benefitted from Approved Permits, business licences, land concessions, monopolies, and huge billion-ringgit government contracts were made public.

It was a smart move to deflect criticism as he managed to silence his critics in the Anwar faction by naming them on that list. The implications were that everyone on that list were his cronies with the understanding that there were other people he could have awarded those financial pay-offs too. He could have given those financial windfalls to someone else equally deserving, perhaps more deserving then them. I would like to ponder on the state of our nation in the light of that 'Crony List'.

The publication of that list and subsequent justification of it by the then PM makes several uncomfortable points about where we are as a nation. That it is acceptable to win contracts and licences and promotions and monopolies and contracts on the basis of non-meritocracy.

That it is entirely acceptable to be grateful and loyal because you have been given something you did nothing to deserve in preference to someone else who deserved it more than you. That it is entirely acceptable to become rich at someone else's expense - that is, taxpayers who get a bum deal with over-priced cars and electricity, and substandard public buildings that don't last and roofs that collapse.

The 'Crony List' proves, in fact, that your loyalties have been bought, and your responsibilities as citizens discarded, and your leaders view you with contempt as might eastern potentates who view their subjects with contempt as those who have been bought for gold or silver.

Some people I know are entirely comfortable with this system of administration. No open tenders, no meritocracy, not getting what you earned on your own merit. It is no wonder so many people were disappointed that no reform had been forthcoming with this present administration.

We are now officially a Crony-nation, and although a lot of people are happy with this state of affairs, it leaves idealists like me out in the cold. It leaves little room for being a patriot if that concept is acceptable to the ethnic majority in Malaysia.

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