COMMENT The jailing of former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim does more harm to Najib Abdul Razak’s position as prime minister of this country.

Since after Anwar was imprisoned in February this year, the world has placed its focus on Najib’s personal scandals more than anything. Along with it, the country suffers.

This does not bode well with the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, Abdul Razak Hussein. The father, as we all know, was careful with the way he spent the country’s coffers, but the son has allegedly become a big spender and is now caught in one of the biggest scandals in the country.

Within such a short period of time, the entire country has become aware of the 1MDB scandal. Around August 2014, I was in a remote village in the deep jungles of Sarawak. To my surprise, the natives were already asking me to comment on the 1MDB scandal.

At that moment, all I could say was: “No idea, but we have to wait and see.” Today, the evidence is out there and so plentiful that it is impossible to even close the case, especially since the case has also attracted the attention of investigators in a number of countries.

The attorney-general (AG) Mohamed Apandi Ali’s threat to imprison journalists for publishing stories based on leaked information adds to the bad vibes for Najib. He must not forget that he, too, can be jailed for trying to thwart an on-going case investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

What goes around comes around. The law of harvest applies: Whatever a man sows, that he shall also reap.

Over a sodomy case, the court case went all the way to the Federal Court; but now with the 1MDB scandal being investigated by anti-corruption agencies in a number of countries, what does it make of the AG trying to close the case? What does it make of Najib?

What implications in Apandi’s statement?

The first question we have to ask is: “What is ‘leaked’ information?” Even Apandi has publicly acknowledged it as being ‘leaked’.

It simply means that the authorities have something to hide. With regard to MACC’s investigation report, it also appears that there is something fishy about Apandi’s decision to close the 1MDB case; otherwise, why the unholy haste to close the case?

The next question is: “Why is leaked information so juicy to the press?” If it is information that has been kept away from the public, and it is leaked by the whistleblower, public interest is immediately aroused. Public sympathy will go to the whistleblower who faces prosecution as a result of leaking the information.

Why is there such a fear that information has been leaked to the public? The government should not be afraid if it has nothing to hide. After all, a government that is elected by the people should be accountable to the people.

Most people will agree with me there must be something fishy there that one has to hide in Putrajaya, when the AG himself threatened to imprison journalists who publish any leaked information.

Turning the press into its ‘enemy’ would be the worst disaster for any government. It is not only the local journalists who will become critical of the policies of the government of the day. Like the jailing of Anwar, it will raise the ire of the international community of journalists.

Jailing of political opponents

We have seen from the cases of other countries where the international community will look favourably on a jailed opposition leader.

A very good example is Myanmar’s jailed opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The international community worked hard to secure her release. The same can be said as well of Nelson Mandela, where the international community condemned South Africa for many years.

For many years, both South Africa and Myanmar were seen as ‘problematic’ nations in the eyes of the international community. In recent years, we have heard about Malaysia becoming a ‘failed nation’. Even if we are not there yet, are we heading in that direction?

A country where its opposition leader is in jail does not inspire confidence in the international community. Investors will be drawn away to another country where they can place their investments; therefore, it is not surprising that economically these countries will be disadvantaged.

What the Federal Court has done in February last year is to turn Anwar into an icon for the Malaysian opposition. This is the one reason why the people are more determined to see a new government taking over Putrajaya soon.

If I may ask for feedback, and everyone who reads this article takes the trouble to answer (please share it, too), I am sure there will be more people with a sense of justice, who want Najib in prison over the 1MDB scandal rather than Anwar. Please post your answer to my question without resorting to name-calling.

STEPHEN NG is an ordinary citizen with an avid interest in following political developments in the country since 2008.