Malaysian Reactions to DOJ Lawsuits Reflect Ignorance and Corrupted
Concept of Justice
M. Bakri Musa
www.bakrimusa.com
America is a Rorschach Test to most foreigners. What they
view as America reveals more of themselves than of America; likewise, how they
react to events in America.
One visitor
to Washington, DC, would see only the homeless under the bridges, potholes on
the streets, and “adult” stores at very corner; others, The Smithsonian,
Georgetown University, and the National Institutes of Health. The contrasting
observations reflect volumes on the observers.
Consider the
Malaysian responses to the US Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuits relating to
alleged illicit siphoning of funds from 1MDB. I am not referring to the kopi-o babbling in the echo chamber of UMNO-paid
“cyber-troopers” that pollutes the social media. They are pet parrots; babbling
whatever is coached to them. With a different master offering more leftovers they
could be made to change their tune.
What
interests me instead are the responses of ministers and commentators. Their
utterances expose their appalling ignorance of the American justice system. They
also reveal much of themselves, as per Rorschach’s insight.
One
minister, eager to be seen as his master’s favorite lapdog, asserted that DOJ
is being influenced by the Malaysian opposition. On cue, the other hounds and bitches
piled on. A hitherto severe critic of the establishment pontificated that a former
champion college debater together with Mahathir and Daim Zainuddin were
involved.
Heady stuff
for a young man! Though flattered, Syed Saddiq went ahead and filed a police
report against that blogger! Mahathir described best those who believed such
canards: “Bodoh luar biasa!” (Extraordinarily
stupid!)
Those characters
must also believe that the American judicial system is like Malaysia’s, where
prosecutors could be influenced or paid off a
la one Shafee Abdullah. Sarawak Report
alleged that he was paid RM9.5 million from Najib’s slush fund before being appointed
special prosecutor in Anwar Ibrahim’s case. Shafee has not denied that.
Another
minister declared DOJ’s charges ‘mere’ allegations. Sorry, no marks for stating
the obvious. A former journalist-turn-blogger echoed that, and proceeded, for
emphasis, to reprint in bold the DOJ’s caution.
Of course DOJ’s
accusations, like all court complaints, are “alleged” until adjudicated by the
court. DOJ must have credible evidence to not waste taxpayers’ money on
frivolous lawsuits. The jury would not buy it. DOJ does not allege any Joe on
the street of corruption.
Those who believe
otherwise must think that DOJ and American courts are like Malaysia’s where prosecutors
could be bought to bring on cases with the flimsiest of evidences and still find
judges to convict, as with Anwar’s case.
That is not
a far stretch. A few years ago, a defense lawyer known for his amazing ‘skills’
in getting his clients acquitted was caught on videotape assuring his listener
that he had the judge in his pocket. The lawyer’s utterance, “Correct! Correct!
Correct!” would forever be embedded in the annals of shame in the Malaysian
judiciary.
Then there
was the character who insinuated that the ‘inactivity’ of DOJ since its first
filing a year earlier reveals its sinister political motive. Had he followed the
court’s calendar he would have noted the flurry of activities. Among them, the
successful challenge by the new trustee of some of the seized properties to be
represented.
This character
went on to opine that since her initial filing in July 2016, US Attorney-General
Loretta Lynch had been “fired,” implying that the lawsuit was without merit. Such
willful ignorance reveals a deliberate attempt to mislead. Lynch was a political
appointee, and with President Trump’s election all such appointees were replaced.
Further, the second filing was by her successor.
Deputy
Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid, a local PhD, implied that all the furor over 1MDB
were fake news, the concoctions of hostile foreign media! It is instructive
that this character did his dissertation on the local media. To him, the likes
of The Wall Street Journal are like Utusan Melayu. His response reveals as much
about him as the institution that awarded him his doctorate.
A junior minister
accused the Americans of trying to topple Najib, in cahoots with the opposition.
Not too long ago he and others were lapping at pictures of Najib golfing with
President Obama. That minister however, did not see fit to lead a demonstration
at the embassy in defense of Malaysia. Some
jantan!
It is unfortunate
that this non-too bright character’s remarks resonated with simple villagers.
A senior
minister, a little brighter being that he was a London-trained lawyer,
dismissed the whole DOJ affair. Malaysia had other far more important issues to
attend to, he sniffed. If the staggering sums of the loot did not impress him,
what about the charges of corruption levelled at the highest government
official, cryptically referred to as “Malaysian Official 1.” That should be his
and all Malaysians’ top priority.
Yet another
minister advised everyone not to panic. The lady doth protest too much,
methinks. Nobody was panicking except her crowd.
Attorney-General
Apandi was miffed that DOJ did not consult him. DOJ’s lawsuits were prompted to
protect American financial institutions from the corrupting influences of dirty
foreign funds. It does not need Malaysia’s ‘help,’ more so considering that
Apandi had declared no wrongdoing.
Apandi was
also upset at the criminal insinuations against the prime minister. His comment
unwittingly revealed what he thinks of his job, less as chief prosecutor, more as
Najib’s private attorney. No wonder his “investigations” exonerated Najib!
Apandi also unwittingly confirmed that MO1 is in fact Najib and that the
activities he was alleged to have been engaged in were criminal in nature.
If the responses
were revealing, the non-response or silence was even more so. The lawsuits
allege that billions were illicitly siphoned from the company, and it is
mentioned umpteen times in the complaints. Yet 1MDB did not seek to be represented
as a party of interest. This reflects its management’s inability to separate the
company’s interests from those of its officers’. Najib is 1MDB’s chairman. The
management confuses Najib with the company. Management is not looking after the
company’s interest in not seeking representation, which was how the mess
started in the first place.
Malaysian officials’
responses to DOJ’s lawsuits did not reflect well on them or Malaysia. I can hardly
wait for their reactions or “spin” when this DOJ investigation goes on to its next
inevitable phase, the filing of criminal charges and or when one of the
defendants becomes a prosecution witness.
Meanwhile, fake
news or not and collusion or not, MO1, his spouse, or stepson will not be
stepping foot in America any time soon, if ever. That is revealing.