CAN NAJIB TURN SAVIOUR?

Umar Mukhtar

That there was a massive abuse of power resulting in RM58 billion forex loss of our money by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar Ibrahim, Jaafar Husin and Nor Yaakob is well established. That these hypocritical and irresponsible characters, who were trusted by the people, lied in Parliament can be easily checked in Hansard.

That Najib’s creation 1MDB may be found out to be guilty of the same may be established soon. That the government was lied to or individuals in custodial role acted maliciously in concert with crooks may also be established. Somebody profited.

So did someone during the forex crisis. We lost, somebody must have won. What if the winner had insider information of what the four was up to, which only the four knew. Some kwey tiau money perhaps. There was no Sarawak Report and social media to stir up shit at that time. Same difference!

Yes, two wrongs don’t make one right, but hasn’t it happened once too often? Whoever was at fault, our money was still lost. We will try to punish them one way or the other. This nation will endeavour to survive this latest blunder. Only to be abused again by whoever replaces Najib? Obviously, the weaknesses of the government is systemic. We never learn

There’s no guarantee Muhyiddin Yassin will not freak out and misadventure at our expense. The air-heads in the opposition have not been tested with such power. They may not be wily enough to abuse it but their mistrust of each partner over that power may result in paralysis of government. Signs of that can already be seen in their present childish bickering. We opened the door for them and they choose to play “Cik Kak, Cik Kak”.

Lost of money may eventually be recovered, albeit painfully, but it can be recovered. What about losses so structural that it may now be permanent defects and liabilities of our existence as a nation?

Loss of the integrity and independence of our nation’s institutions that can assure us of something consistent about justice; social and economic, about fair and vigorous enforcement, and about equal protection for all and a common aspiration to succeed together.

Those losses as compared to what we had under three prime ministers before Mahathir, destroyed our abilities to compete, rejuvenate and be forthright without being self-righteous and stand together wholly proud as a nation, are mostly attributable to Mahathir’s corruptive Michavellian rule.

They are a hundred times more difficult to recover than money. We may never recover the competitive edge we had against our neighbours and the common pride to be Malaysians. Our dependence on slipping into familiar kinships transcended our mental capacities, out of the fear of each other as dictated by the government in their bid to blackmail us into electing them.

That Mahathir is now the darling of the opposition in spite of the above malice is what Malaysian politics is all about. Power is sought for the sake of itself, not as a means to do long-term good for the electorate. Always in pursuit of narrower agendas than the common good.

So befriend your hated political enemy if that serves your present needs to be relevant in the pursuit of power. In that respect, the opposition is as guilty as Mahathir in stunting this nation’s growth. They have no consistent values, always means to an elusive end. And we proudly call it politics.

What now?

Can we stop this bickering, punish these assholes and get on with what’s right for Malaysia?

Or are we going to follow the example of democracy as shown by our neighbours with ‘people power’ and yellow and red hullabaloos to remove a duly elected apex leader?

Wouldn’t it be a wonderful surprise if the person up there now reverses the Mahathir nonsense and gives government back to the people? No negotiated tenders, parliamentary accountability for all financial instruments that carry our financial liabilities, no idiotic and egoistic crooked bridges, give back the oil royalties to the states to which are due, the guts to enforce without fear or favour, and stop politicising education and religion, etc,. I mean all the bad things that Mahathir instituted. Has he got the guts to do that?

Abdullah Badawi was elected overwhelmingly as a sign of the people’s relief at getting rid of Mahathir. Who now will deliver the people’s expectations of post-Mahathir euphoria which Abdullah failed to do?

Najib, you are already up there, that should be your ONLY reason to want to stay on. Otherwise, go and enjoy your inheritance. Tengku Razaleigh can be persuaded to serve.