Money, Money, Money!

ABBA’s hit on the above will always be a topic that rocks Malaysia. And ABBA is not Muhyiddin Yassin (that’s “Abah”).

It’s all about money – illicit, fraudulent, unethically secured, deployed and even stashed away money that is rocking this nation. 

As you scan the news, millions of ringgit in cash paid out to so many individuals within the political circles (or circus), it is easy to understand why the people are suffering today. Some senior civil servants and politicians have been found to have gold bars, currencies, jewellery and branded bags stashed away in their homes.

Then you have invisible ships worth RM6 billion and no-one has as has been charged for the ships not appearing! (Pardon me if they are invisible and cannot appear – stealth technology?). The first ship (visible) will only delivered in two years time. That is according to the Minister of Defence (MoD). He was also the MoD in 2017 when he welcomed the first LCS into the Navy. This vessel was not fully completed, hence not operational to this day.

The NST in its report on 10 August 2022 reported that these things happen because:

• “We have leaders who lack integrity”

• “Malaysian voters are also at fault for electing ‘shady characters’”

• Political parties keeping court clusters in leadership positions; and

• Procurement process is far from being transparent

Source: Malaysiakini, 8 August 2022

Then we have MRT3 with RM1 billion per kilometre. How do we justify this RM50 billion project?

What is mind-boggling is that in Malaysia, you can return the stolen money and be absolved or have a reduced sentence.

How long more will we be dragged through the mud and slime of corrupt conduct?  How long more will we be able to cushion all the robberies, bearing in mind it is the people’s money that is being taken? The billions of ringgit now needed but unavailable to subsidise essential goods and fuel and to create meaningful jobs for the people have been stolen by corrupt politicians, political appointees, their kith and kin, and some civil servants. And there is no end in sight unless there is a drastic reset.

We have decades of stolen money, not just those cases languishing within the Palace of Justice or at the attorney general’s office or being investigated by the authorities, as is often claimed.  We are talking of the several decades-old culture of ‘What’s is in it for me?’ that has robbed this nation of a glorious past and future.  We are a rich, blessed nation that is impoverished today. 

But we continue to allow ourselves to fall prey to the mantras of religious divisiveness and intolerance, along with deepening racial animosity, that have proven to be the most effective political weapon of power. 

If we want to survive on daun ubi kayu (cassava leaves) and sambal belacan in the not-too-distant future, then let us, in our self-inflicted blindness, happily live with such blatant theft at all levels. 

How long more, oh Malaysia? How long more can we allow this nation, its resources and its people to be exploited? 

References:

Money, money and more money rocks Malaysia, JD Lovrenciear, ALIRAN, 1 August 2022

MPs remind Hisham he welcomed non-existent LCS into fleet in 2017, Malaysiakini, 

9 August 2022

NST Leader: Another 1MDB? New Straits Times, 10 August 2022