COMMENT | With reference to the article, “Show evidence, says PM on graft in S'wak”, I wish to respond to the prime minister with this letter.

Dear Dr Mahathir Mohamad,

The euphoria is over. You must have received countless messages of congratulations. Another one from me makes no difference. So I'll cut the small talk and get straight to the point.

Like many Sarawakians, I am deeply concerned about the evil deeds committed by exceptionally greedy and corrupt leaders in my beloved home state.

Let me repeat what I've said recently. The biggest thief in Malaysia is actually in Sarawak. In his 33 years in power, he had probably stolen more than Najib (Abdul Razak). I know you are not blind to the widely-reported excesses of this modern “White Rajah” of Sarawak over the years.

Surely you would know when, how and why it all started. In the past, you too have been defensive of those who had caused so much miseries and hardships to so many Sarawakians.

Tun, sorry to say this, but you were not very smart in years gone by to even support the rampant destruction of rainforests in Sarawak by logging companies associated with dishonest and unscrupulous BN leaders in the state.

And understandably so, because they were your allies and you needed them when you were in power. But that's water under the bridge now. We wouldn't want to delve on the past but move on.

Yesterday, you said those with evidence of corruption in Sarawak should adduce evidence and “if you can give evidence, I will ask the authorities to act".

Let me relate these events to you of the action taken against Abdul Taib Mahmud by the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) seven years ago.

On March 4, 2011, I led a MoCS delegation to submit a two-inch thick document on allegations of corruption and abuse of power by Taib, extracted from the whistleblower site Sarawak Report to the Sarawak MACC in Kuching. We were accompanied by, among others, Pakatan Harapan leaders Chong Chieng Jen and See Chee How.

My statement on that day read in parts: “Today, I am putting on record MoCS's demand that MACC conducts an immediate investigation on the allegations against Taib.

“We also demand that MACC updates the public on the status of the reports and complaints lodged by various parties in the past against the chief minister. We wish to know whether MACC had taken any action so far despite the overwhelming evidence put forth by Sarawak Report, Bruno Manser Fund and others.

“It must be noted that most of the allegations of corruption against the chief minister have documentary proof. MACC owes it to Sarawakians and Malaysians to reveal what it intends to do regarding these serious allegations of corruption and power abuse against Taib.”

In a June 9, 2011, report in The Star, the then MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamad confirmed that the commission was investigating Taib over allegations of timber corruption.

"As I said earlier, we are investigating Taib and whatever our action is, we cannot reveal at this moment," Abu Kassim told reporters at the time.

He was responding to a question on whether the MACC was looking at carrying out a similar action as the Swiss Anti-Corruption Agency, which had frozen Taib's assets over the allegations.

MoCS made similar reports to the MACC in Putrajaya as well as the Sarawak and Bukit Aman police.

The movement had also petitioned the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong not to appoint Taib as governor, handing over its document to a palace official at the Astana gates in Kuala Lumpur the same year.

Tun, I can still recall clearly your remark about Taib when I asked you about him, soon after you left office in 2003.

Your reply was: “Taib has done a lot for Sarawak. But along the way, he also enriched himself.”

I did not want to push you further after that.

This was at an interview you granted to Malaysiakini at your Petronas office. I was a member of the Malaysiakini team then.

Yesterday, you also said that "we have had nothing to do with the Sarawak government at this moment. We are very busy with the government of this country."

Tun, I had wanted to give you and your new government time to settle down before I would even want to bother you about Taib. But things are moving very fast and as we all are aware, a week is a long time in politics.

Even as I write this in Kuching, a Youtube video is showing dozens of policemen in lorries and vans entering Najib's residence in Kuala Lumpur.

You have indeed acted swift and tough on Najib. Many of us here in Sarawak are also hoping that you would act just as quickly and as tough on Taib.

The only difference here is that Najib is now a private citizen while Taib is the governor of Sarawak.

Tun, if I may refresh your memory, in a Malay Mail report dated Feb 17, 2014 under the heading “Taib not immune from prosecution as governor, claims Dr M”, you had refuted claims that Taib's impending elevation to the post of Sarawak governor would grant him legal immunity from all criminal investigations.

You stated that a governor could still be subjected to corruption probes and charges should local graftbusters decide to investigate any claim against him.

“No one has immunity in this country,” you have declared.

In my mind, I was thinking that action could be taken within the Rulers' Conference but you know best how to handle such a situation. Why, you had even stripped off the powers of royalty and had declared to the world that “the king is not above the law”.

Such being the case, what is Taib as a governor? He is not even the king.

Tun, you have said that you are very busy with forming your new government and hence, have little time for matters concerning Sarawak.

That being the case, may I suggest that you assign your state Harapan chairperson Chong Chieng Jen to look into Sarawak affairs urgently, with the issues surrounding governor Taib on top of the agenda.

With the help of his colleagues, civil society and cooperation from a revamped MACC, Chong could turn out to be an effective and competent graftbuster.

Abuse of power and corruption are now a colossal and pressing problem for us In Sarawak. We have to wipe the “untouchables” off the face of Sarawak as quickly as possible.

One final thing Tun. I just viewed a clip of (Mahathir's wife) Siti Hasmah Ali expressing her concerns for your health, saying that you were still studying documents at 4am or 5am, had barely three hours sleep and off to the office at 7am.

Like your devoted spouse, Malaysians worry for you too. Christians like me could liken you to Moses who had delivered us from bondage and had brought us to the Promised Land.

Your work is actually done, Tun.

Then again, who are we to tell you that, even if it was genuine concerns for your health and well-being. Only Mahathir Mohamad himself really knows when he wants to finish the race.

Tun, I salute you.

Very sincerely,

Francis Paul Siah, Kuching

FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.