The Malaysian Malaise: Excerpt #4: Time span Of These Commentaries

 The Malaysian Malaise: Corrupt Leadership, Failing Institutions, And Intolerant Islamism

M. Bakri Musa © 2023

 

Excerpt #4: Time Span Of These Commentaries

 

These essays, written between January 2020 to December 2022, cover the dangerous and politically uncertain period that also coincided with the lethal Covid-19 pandemic. With the better understanding of the virus and with that, effective interventions, the menace is now manageable. Not so for the other Malaysian malaise and maladies.

 

The season began auspicious enough when the long-ruling Barisan coalition was booted out in the 14th General Elections of May 2018. Then in an absurdity difficult to comprehend, the new coalition picked the 93-year-old Mahathir to lead. Nobody gave thought that it was this wily old man who was instrumental for the corrupt Najib Razak becoming Prime Minister in the first place. Instead, everyone now praised Mahathir, giving him full credit for defeating Najib. Nor did anyone ponder the incredulity that if Mahathir could not achieve what he wanted for Malaysia in his earlier 23 years as Prime Minister and when he was much younger, what hope would there be now that he was in his mid 90s, and ailing.

 

Mahathir’s failure during his first tenure was of omission as well as commission. As leader he failed in his fundamental responsibility of grooming the next generation of capable leaders. The abysmal failure of Abdullah Badawi, egregious corruption of Najib, abject incompetence of Muhyiddin, and the bumbling vacuity of Ismail Sabri reflect as much on them as on Mahathir.

 

As for Mahathir’s sins of commission, three stand out. And what a triple whammy! One, he was responsible for the entrenched culture of corruption in UMNO, and thus Malay leaders. He led the party for over two decades, and it bore all his dark traits. Two, he was responsible for the rise of political Islam, and with that, the deepening polarization of Malaysians as well as the degradation of the faith among Malays. Three, he weakened institutions as with the current rotting education system. He deemphasized English together with the concomitant emphasis on religion in national schools. The burden of both is borne by poor Malays.

 

Mahathir’s failure to groom honest, competent Malay leaders has resulted in their being consumed in one intrigue after another to grab and retain power, not to serve the nation as they are clueless in matters of statehood, but for personal gains. Ismail Sabri maintained his support among Members of Parliament only by bribing them with ministerial posts, Ambassadorships-At-Large, and chairmanships of the various government-linked corporations. 

 

The only positive development was the jailing of former Prime Minister Najib Razak for his massive pilfering of One Malaysia Berhad (1MDB–a government-linked company), the greatest (money-wise as well as global reach) scandal that began over a decade ago.

 

As a parenthesis, the United States Department of Justice first filed its civil money laundering charges against Najib (diplomatically dubbed as Malaysian Official 1) back in June 2016. It would be unnecessary to add that Najib’s own Attorney-General, one Apandi Ali, an UMNO operative, had earlier cleared Najib of any wrong doing!

 

Mahathir’s redeeming act during his second term was to co-opt a few outside talents, specifically Latheefa Koya as the new Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief and Tommy Thomas, Attorney-General. Latheefa endeared herself to Malaysians by releasing intercepted phone calls between one Dzulkifli Ahmad, Koya’s immediate predecessor as MACC Chief, and Prime Minster Najib while the former was then a prosecutor in the Attorney-General’s office. Dzulkifli was tipping then-Prime Minister Najib of impending criminal investigations against him in connection with the 1MDB scandal. It was painful as well as deeply embarrassing to hear those tapes. 

 

Thomas recruited outside lawyers to prosecute Najib. That was the right call even though not flattering to those mainly Malay career public prosecutors.

 

Earlier, Najib had forced the early retirement of both MACC Chief Abu Kassim and Attorney-General Gani Patail as the 1MDB crisis was about to blow open. Those two went away quietly. Now that Najib is secure in jail, I hope they will reveal what and when they knew about 1MDB. They owe Malaysians that duty.

 

Mahathir’s one good deed in appointing Latheefa and Thomas was later overshadowed by his aggressively promoting that semburit (anal) character, one Azmin Ali.  Azmin trumpeted having an economics degree from the University of Minnesota, a major public university, but coyly neglected to mention that his was not from its flagship and prestigious Minneapolis campus rather one of its “ulu” branches. His major, economics education, is more a degree in education. “Economics education,” like “industrial economics” (Najib’s major) and “economic history,” is for those unable to handle the rigorous mathematics of the “real” discipline. 

 

In championing Azmin, Mahathir again demonstrated his singular inability to assess talent. Thank goodness, Mahathir’s resignation spared Malaysia the possible leadership of this semburit character.  Mahathir learned nothing from his earlier blunders with Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak. 

 

 

Mahathir later regretted having appointed Thomas. That in turn exposes a far greater flaw in Mahathir’s character beyond his inability to recognize talents. He considers them threats rather than assets.

 

Next: Excerpt # 5: On My Commentaries