Malaysia is pounded every day by a surfeit of lack of integrity issues and problems, which is hurtling Malaysia down the slippery slope to a failed state.
Something is very wrong with the national institutions and system of values, which have reached a very advanced stage of rottenness, when the Police confirmed today that the body found in a drum filled with concrete last Wednesday was that of deputy head of the Attorney-General’s Chambers Appellate and Trial Division, Anthony Kevin Morais.
Morais’ abduction and gruesome murder were believed to be related to a corruption case he was handling.
Today, we have three bad news all related to one mega corruption scandal in Malaysia – the long-running M50 billion 1MDB scandal, viz:
• FBI starts probe on 1MDB, says WSJ (Malaysiakini) • Ambiga says ‘appalled’ by 1MDB critic’s six-day demand (MMO) • Najib risks arrest if he travels abroad, says Dr Mahathir – by V. Anbalagan (TMI)
Questions teem everyone’s mind.
On former UMNO leader, Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan – why is Najib so scared of him to the extent that he is barred from leaving the country on Friday when he wanted to fly off to New York to meet US federal law enforcers to seek their aid for investigations into the 1MDB scandal. He was arrested after he was barred from leaving the country. Why was Khairuddin remanded for six days which was clearly excessive and punitive as the power to detain individuals is meant for the purpose of investigations and not to punish anyone.
Furthermore, why was Khairuddin investigated under Section 124(C) of the Penal Code relating to “activities detrimental to parliamentary democracy”, when Parliament was assured that this new provision was meant only to deal with terrorists or those who want to overthrow the government by violent or unconstitutional means?
The news that “FBI starts probe on 1MDB” shows that with or without Khairuddin’s information, another country has joined the queue to initiate investigations about Malaysia’s 1MDB and money laundering offences, joining countries like Singapore, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Hong Kong.
Is Malaysia becoming an international rogue state?
But it is the third news item which has caused the most heart-burns to Malaysians – imagine the Malaysian Prime Minister being arrested in a foreign country like a common criminal?
Mahathir drew a grim picture on the possibility of Najib being arrested by Interpol if foreign countries investigate the prime minister for alleged money laundering.
The former Prime Minister said: “He could also be arrested if he left the country. So he has to remain here, like how he withdrew the passports of some people and barred them from going overseas.”
It is anathema just to think of the Malaysian Prime Minister being treated like war criminals such as the Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir.
What has Malaysia been reduced to 58 years after Merdeka and 52 years after Malaysia?
[Media Conference Statement (2) at Jalan SP Chelliah, Penang on Sunday, 20th September 2015 at 12 noon]