COMMENT Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi commented yesterday that the sacking of former Umno deputy president, Muhyiddin Yassin, and former Kedah menteri besar, Mukhriz Mahathir, was the cost for not being loyal.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also acting Umno deputy president, said, “in this case, loyalty is the highest price that must be paid. We used to be taught to have total loyalty.”

Is there a blind loyalty among Umno members, to follow whatever the leader says even if it is heading to the path of destruction? I guess it shows the shallowness or immaturity in the thinking of Umno members - they have always to be “yes men” to the leader and cannot think for themselves, or the people.

It shows its members or leaders are only interested in looking after their periuk nasi or livelihood, and not thinking of where the country, its economy and people, are heading to.

This short-term thinking of paying allegiance to the leader without thinking of its consequences will result in the country heading towards destruction.

Is this the Islamic way? Or is the right way to have leaders who can accept criticism, and followers who can correct a leader when he has erred?

Shouldn't the allegiance be more with the people and not the leader when there are allegations of wrongdoing when in public office?

In this holy month of Ramadan lets take a leaf from the first Caliph of Islam, Abu Bakar As Saddiq.

When Prophet Muhammad passed away and he was chosen to lead Muslims, what was his first speech about?

“I have been given the authority over you, and I am not the best of you. If I do well, help me; and if I do wrong, set me right. Sincere regard for truth.”

That was what Abu Bakar said when he was appointed the first caliph.

The second caliph, Umar Al Khattab, who expanded Islam's influence and managed to conquer Jerusalem, had this to say on leaders: “Beware of bribery, and of ruling based on your desires”.

Have we not learnt anything?

After almost a year since the revelation of the 1MDB saga affecting Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak who is also Umno president, have we not learnt from it?

The revelation made by United States financial daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Sarawak Report had set tongues wagging over the alleged RM2.6 billion entered into Najib's accounts in 2013, just before the 13th general election.

The report claimed the money came from 1MDB-linked companies, but Najib has denied this.

However, till today as we approach a year after the revelations made on July 3 last year, Najib had not chosen to sue WSJ.

WSJ and its journalist Tom Wright went on to win the recent Sopa award and was also a finalist for the prestigious Pulitzer award. Wright, in commenting on his win, said that he will continue to expose 1MDB's troubles.

The alleged scandal is subject to investigations in seven countries that saw BSI Bank in Singapore closed, while back here in Malaysia, investigations were thwarted when attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali refused to grant mutual legal assistance to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which it needed to obtain documents overseas.

This is while the Swiss investigators themselves asked the Malaysian authorities to help its probe into banks related to the 1MDB.

Why is there a probe in seven countries that are still ongoing, while here in Malaysia our investigators are shackled, intimidated, or jailed, for trying to find out or prove what could potentially result in huge losses for the country? All this, while Apandi cleared Najib of any wrongdoing.

Back home, a group editor of New Straits Times, Mustapha Kamil, resigned last month purportedly because the paper was not allowed to write anything negative about 1MDB.

Lessons on accountability

When Great Britain shocked the world by deciding to leave the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron, who had championed for it to remain in Europe, chose to resign.

One thing to note is that one of the major proponents for Britain to leave the EU was a Conservative, namely Boris Johnson, a former London mayor, who is now the frontrunner to be the new premier.

In the aftermath of Cameron's announcement, Najib tweeted as democrats, we must accept the results.

What Najib said resulted in brickbats on social media, with former Bersih chairperson and former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan saying “perhaps 'we' (Najib) should resign too.”

Since the revelations by WSJ, Najib had not satisfactorily explained himself, despite being cleared by Apandi. He has allowed Ahmad Zahid to explain the issue in Parliament but to many, it was not up to expectations.

He has not appeared in court for the five existing suits which he has filed, and some see him as trying to avoid taking the stand.

Najib had removed his former deputy Muhyiddin Yassin from the cabinet and now from Umno. He had also replaced the previous attorney-general, Abdul Gani Patail, with Apandi.

Do we see Cameron sacking Johnson for having differences in opinion despite being in the same party?

Malaysians and especially the current politicians should realise loyalty should be with the people who voted them in and not to a particular leader.

This also applies to the opposition parties DAP, PKR, Parti Amanah Negara, PAS and PSM, which have also been big disappointments.

Perhaps politicians in Malaysia and its people have not matured to the level that is required to understand democracy, accountability, maturity, and the rights of the people.

As the writer, I shudder to think of the future ahead for this nation and people, especially for my children and my grandchildren, and what Malaysia would turn out to be, especially in the aftermath of 1MDB.

HAFIZ YATIM is a member of the Malaysiakini team.