1MDB Not An Overnight Monster; Likewise Malaysian Official 1

1MDB Not An Overnight Monster; Likewise “Malaysian Official 1”

M. Bakri Musa

www.bakrimusa.com

The colossal corruption scandal that is 1MDB is not an overnight monster; likewise its principal rogue, “Malaysian Official 1” (MO1).

           

            The loss from 1MDB, though in the billions, is at least quantifiable. Not so the besmirching of Malaysia’s good name by its leader MO1 being labelled the world’s most corrupt kleptocrat by the US Department of Justice.

            So hideous and unprecedented was MO1’s conduct that I believe he (or maybe she) was born corrupt. Or to use Mahathir’s words in his The Malay Dilemma, it is in his (MO1’s) genes to be corrupt.

            I go further. Even if you are inherently (that is, genetically predisposed to be) corrupt, you would not necessarily be so if you were to be brought up along the straight path. So the only conclusion is that MO1 in addition to being born corrupt was also nurtured by a corrupt family.

           

            That is a near-blasphemous statement to make in Malaysia. The memory of the father of MO1 is still held in high regards by most Malaysians. Most but not all. For those not lucky enough to be born of the right heritage to benefit from the father’s new enlightened policy, the image is less pristine. 

            In trying to defend his (and his spouse’s) current wealth and profligate ways, MO1 once claimed that he was blessed with a bountiful inheritance. Offended by that statement, one of his siblings took the unusual step of publicly contradicting him, claiming that their father died while not quite in poverty was definitely not wealthy. At least that family has one honest member.

            This MO1 has a long history, both personal as well as official. As for the personal, let’s just say that he is a Malaysian Bill Clinton, minus the brilliance. There is little need to pursue that prurient path.

            As for the official, as Minister of Education back in the 1990s he approved over 500 permits for private colleges during a two-year period. That was more than one application a day! You would need a lot of grease to make the normally sluggish Malaysian bureaucracy go that fast and smooth. He must have received plenty of grease to slide by all those applications.

            A measure of the ministry’s “thoroughness” was that many of those colleges closed shop after their students had paid the exorbitant fees, stranding the students and disappointing their parents.

            As Defense Minister he gave his buddy millions as “commission” to buy a billion-ringgit used submarine that could not submerge. We may yet know more about that scandal as the French is reopening that corruption case. As for his buddy, he too shared MO1’s personal morality. All that is now cleansed, in the eyes of the Malaysian brand of Islam, with their trip to Mecca.

            Now with MO1 as Finance Minister, should Malaysians and the world be surprised then that 1MDB is the consequence?

            One person however vile, corrupt, or greedy could not possibly execute a heist on the scale of 1MDB. MO1 must have had many enablers. Not only that, the nation’s institutions must also have been sufficiently weakened and their personnel emasculated not to have noticed the massive looting. The rotting of Malaysian institutions and the breeding of those enablers too did not happen overnight.

            The heads of Bank Negara, Anti-Corruption Commission and the police, as well as the Auditor-General and Attorney-General during the looting of 1MDB were individuals appointed by other than MO1. The exception is the current Attorney General, that failed former UMNO operative.

            There may be some poetic justice if not perverse irony in that a few of those enablers now face the threat of being charged for treason, for not protecting MO1 vigorously or enough.

            I draw a difference between those enablers versus the UMNO ministers, divisional chiefs, and UMNO Youth “red-shirts” who mindlessly defend and sing praises of MO1. These latter characters are whores; they are paid to pleasure MO1. Destroy 1MDB and MO1, and with their lifeline cut off, watch them convert to be MO1’s and UMNO’s severest critic.

            Now with the National Security Act of 2016 operative, criticisms of MO1 would be that much more difficult and treacherous. Again, that NSA did not appear overnight. It took decades in preparation, going back to the constitutional amendment of 1994 which made possible for laws passed by Parliament to dispense with royal assent.   

            That constitutional amendment, as well as the rotting institutions, is water underneath the bridge. No point wallowing in it. Yet many are still obsessed with the blame game and relish indulging their status as Mahathir’s victims. They are more interested in settling old scores or getting even on earlier slights instead of helping solve the current problem. Some let their hatred and contempt for Mahathir get in their way of rational thinking. What’s the point? All Malaysians are now victims of MO1’s greed, except for the equally corrupt few recipients of his “cash is king” mode.

            Yes, Mahathir let possible for all those things to happen during his watch. However, he has been off the stage now for well over a decade. Surely Malaysians could rise above and rectify his mistakes. Why blame the man? He is over 90 now. No glory in beating up an old man. Besides he is trying very hard to undo his errors. Help him succeed, and once that is achieved you could then engage in a post-mortem and assign blame.

            It takes more than a little bit of humility to admit to one’s error. It takes an even greater courage to rectify it.  Mahathir admitted that appointing that dud Abdullah Badawi was a mistake. Being instrumental in Najib’s ascend was also Mahathir’s mistake. Mahathir was successful in correcting his first. Malaysians should now help him correct his second–get rid of Najib.

            Malaysia would be the ultimate beneficiary, not Mahathir. He doesn’t need the trophy. If 1MD and MO1 are not destroyed, both will destroy Malaysia. Then all Malaysians will be the victim.