Din is scared, Bersatu is rattled...

Din is scared, Bersatu is rattled....

Dia tau pulak takut,masa dok gagau dulu berani sakan...

Mahiaddin Yassin, Malaysia’s second shortest-serving prime minister, had good mentors in the form of former prime ministers.These former Malay PMs liked to boast about their Malay credentials, and that their leadership will successfully protect the Malays, and defend Islam.

Ironically, the Malaysian rakyat, in particular the Malays, must be protected against these types of Malay leaders.They have brought shame to their race and country, besides giving the nation a bad name and saddling us with a huge debt, a loss of trust in politicians and numerous trials concerning their criminal breach of trust (CBT) and alleged corruption.

The convicted felon Najib Abdul Razak is now in jail after he was found guilty of CBT and money laundering involving RM42 million of SRC funds. He is also implicated in stealing around RM2.67 billion from 1MDB. His crime is like child’s play when we compare the allegations about Mahiaddin’s corruption involving two money laundering charges of RM232.5 million.

In addition, Najib’s theft of RM2.67 billion seems like loose change compared to Mahiaddin’s alleged misappropriation of RM92.5 billion in government funds meant for the COVID-19 stimulus packages during the Perikatan Nasional-led government.

Take note of this political ploy. For six decades Umno and Umno-Baru (the new Umno which emerged a year after the original party was deregistered in 1987) used fear to control and manipulate the rakyat. Today, that same fear has gripped Mahiaddin Yassin and Bersatu. So, what else is new? Nothing. It’s the same man wearing different clothes. It’s the same political tactics, just a different party logo.

Bersatu is just a clone of Umno-Baru. Even Muhyiddin is an Umno-Baru reject. Ever the opportunist, Muhyiddin could sense the rakyat’s anger in 2015, and so he spoke up against his boss, then prime minister Najib Abdul Razak. The evidence against Najib was mounting, especially in the overseas media. Only a fool could not see that Najib would lose in GE14 despite his best efforts to silence his critics.

With defeat on the horizon, Mahiaddin weighed up his chances and planned his long-term political career. He’d seen Najib manipulating the system. He was aware of the corruption and excesses of Najib’s wife, the self-proclaimed First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM). Together with his former boss Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, they formed Bersatu and worked fast to prepare themselves for GE14 in two years’ time.

When Mahathir resigned, Abdullah Badawai was named his successor, followed by Najib. Mahiaddin never made the shortlist. Whilst he was seething at not being considered for PM, he wrongly thought that by saying he was “Malay first, Malaysian second” would get him to the top of the queue. Instead, that foolish move attracted more criticism and must have upset BN’s coalition partners.

The ambitious and power-hungry Mahiaddin was often overlooked, and for years he lived in the shadow of politicians with more public “appeal” like Najib and Mahathir. After Harapan’s win in GE14, Muhyiddin was probably aware that at some point, Mahathir once again the PM would renege on his pact with Harapan about Anwar taking over.

Mahiaddin saw his golden opportunity, and together with the other opportunist, PAS president Hadi Awang, engineered the Sheraton Move. The rest, as they say, is history. Ironically, having appointed himself as PM, Mahiaddin decided to play it safe, using the cover of Emergency rule and the coronavirus pandemic to avoid scrutiny of his policies by parliament.

However, the past finally caught up with him. The MACC saw it fit to freeze Bersatu’s accounts pending investigations. The party is only a few years old and has not proven itself. So how did a newly formed political party end up with RM300 million in its bank accounts?

Utusan Malaysia reported that the MACC’s investigations showed Bersatu’s political donors were in reality contractors who had allegedly offered bribes in return for projects during Mahiaddin’s previous PN administration. This is corruption.

When Wan Saiful Wan Jan, one of Mahiaddin’s trusted right hand men, was arrested last week, and Mahiaddin himself was charged, the Bersatu publicity department went into overdrive. The party was rattled. Mahiaddin’s chief lieutenants like Wan Saiful, Azmin Ali and Hamzah Zainuddin, shouted out “political persecution.” They would say that, wouldn’t they?

Bersatu supreme council member Azmin said the MACC probe was to cripple the party. Bersatu information chief Razali Idris said Mahiaddin’s treatment was “inhumane.” Opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin issued a veiled threat against the authorities. He claimed to possess files on government party leaders from his time as home minister, hinting he could use them. Isn’t it illegal to hang on to official files and issue threats?

Sensing the loss of PN’s credibility, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said the MACC investigations were an attempt to distract the public away from Umno-Baru’s many issues. Meanwhile, PAS president Hadi Awang predicted the fall of Anwar Ibrahim and his unity government soon.

The silver lining in all this is that the Malay leaders, Mahiaddin and Hadi, have been exposed as shams. Instead of protecting the Malays, they have lied to and cheated on their fellow Malays. They are not observers of the faith as they went against its teachings. With six state elections coming up, Malaysians have the best chance for better governance, and should by now know whom to vote for. - Mariam Mokhtar

Is Tun M afraid that Anwar

may dig into his corrupt past?...

I have always wondered why there is such a strong and firm resistance in appointing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister (PM). He was once the second most important person in the Cabinet of former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. However, Dr Mahathir has always found ways and means to prevent Anwar from becoming PM.

Furthermore, Anwar was jailed on certain false accusations. Dr Mahathir had once insisted that Anwar will not become PM as long as he is there. Another former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak may not be as evil as Dr Mahathir but still assured that Anwar will not become PM. As before, Anwar was prosecuted and jailed.

In 2018, Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over political power on the understanding that Anwar would be appointed PM in the near future. However, due to Anwar being jailed in the Sungai Buloh Prison back then, Dr Mahathir was appointed the interim PM until Anwar’s pardon and eventual return to the political arena.

But despite giving the impression that he is a changed person, Dr Mahathir still refused to hand over his PM post to Anwar. He resisted stepping down from his position after two years. Anwar was impatiently waiting on the sidelines to take over the position, hence his hopes were sunk.

Meanwhile, Mahathir was busy degrading Anwar in PKR by supporting Datuk Seri Azmin Ali and other senior leaders. The main cause of Sheraton Move might be different, but Dr Mahathir was also involved. Without his grace, the move would not have happened. However, he resigned because he wanted to be the PM for life by choosing the minister of his choice. It was this selfish initiative that was the main driver of Sheraton Move.

Animosity towards Anwar

When Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Ismail became PMs, Anwar did not have a strong figure supporting him to become PM. He finally succeeded after the 15th General Election (GE15) despite not having numbers, but the inclusion of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) brought majority numbers to form the unity government.

Muhyiddin tried his best to prevent Anwar from becoming PM by using a dubious affidavit submission. But it was filtered by His Highness the Yang si-Pertuan Agong as unimportant.

Previously, the Agong had an unpleasant experience in connection with affidavit – a kind of magical formula for Muhyiddin to achieve his desired PM post.

Turning to the bigger question, one wonders why was there so much resistance to Anwar becoming PM? The answers that Anwar has provided in the last few days pointed to his actions in rooting out corruption which led to the arrest of three Bersatu leaders, including its president Muhyiddin on six charges of abuse of power and money laundering. More arrests are expected to be made, including those who secretly bribed and amassed their wealth in the previous period.

Anwar a staunch graft buster

Dr Mahathir opposed Anwar not because he was seen as his competitor or because he is a populist. Anwar is seen as someone who will root out corruption and abuse of power. Dr Mahathir knows that an empowered Anwar will not stop running after those corrupt politicians.

Anwar will not hesitate to include hauling Dr Mahathir to court for being involved in cronyism and nepotism. This is why Dr Mahathir had to prevent Anwar from becoming the PM by making false accusations against him. Ultimately, Anwar was punched in the jail before being taken to court in a bizarre process to imprison Anwar. Najib like Dr Mahathir sees the danger risk in Anwar.

There is a constant concern that Anwar if given power will pursue their non-material political positions. In Muhyiddin’s case, he may have fought the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd) scandal but whether he fought corruption is doubtful.

In two examples of submission of affidavits – during the GE14 and GE15 respectively – Muhyiddin succeeded in the first attempt to refrain Anwar from his dream of becoming the PM but failed in the second attempt.

In just a few months following his ascension to power – and despite some swings on his side – Anwar is already seriously chasing down the corrupt and misuse of power. The Malaysian Anri-Corruption Commission (MACC) is already working in hectic overtime by casting a net far and wide to arrest guilty parties.

Three key Bersatu leaders have been arrested and charged including Muhyiddin. Corruption charges thrown by them against the other parties are now hitting Bersatu leaders like boomerang.

Only Anwar can fight corruption

Corruption is not a new phenomenon in Malaysia; it is rooted during the notorious Dr Mahathir administration. Dr Mahathir’s cronies have earned huge amounts of money through policies reek of prejudice and nepotism.

Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin who is still around is one of the main beneficiaries of Dr Mahathir’s pro-Malay policy. In fact, there are a few more. Anwar has no choice but to act against corruption. He needs to make changes now.

Malaysia’s vast foreign debt that amounts to RM1.5 tril is caused by certain factors, primarily financial embezzlement due to corruption and other misconduct. Those who previously talked about corruption did nothing to eradicate it.

I think Anwar is leading and making changes. The fight against symptoms of corruption, abuse of power and other defiance must begin now.

If Anwar fails to move despite having profound stakes, I don’t think any other PM after him will have the political will and open-mindedness to eliminate the threat. – Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy