Free Drama on Netflix?

 

(This article is an adaptation from a LinkedIn post by Sukhdev Singh, former Deputy Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia) 

Malaysians don't need Netflix because our politicians are such accomplished actors. They provide us with a constant stream of real-life drama. Tracking latest plots is a full-time job.  Take, for instance, the medical phenomenon that seems to afflict our political elite. It’s called "Subpoena-Induced Cardiac Arrest Syndrome” (“SICA”). SICA remains perfectly dormant while the patient is allegedly siphoning off public funds and enjoying a luxury lifestyle. It flares up just hours before a judge is due to hear criminal charges. Medical researchers remain fascinated. 

The syndrome has never been known to strike during election campaigns, overseas holidays or lavish dinners. However, sight of a courtroom can apparently trigger a full-scale physiological collapse. Fortunately, recovery is often just as miraculous once proceedings have been adjourned. It is truly a testament to the resilience of our elite that they can endure years of alleged money laundering and asset-declaration scandals without much headache. But the mention of a court date is enough to send them straight to the ICU of a private hospital or IJN.

For many of us, a medical certificate is merely a request for consideration. But for the political elite, it functions more like a "Get Out of Jail Free" card printed on premium hospital letterhead. The script has become so predictable that whenever a prominent politician is due in court, social media no longer speculates about the verdict. Instead, people wonder which private hospital the accused will check into. Humour has become our national coping mechanism. The alternative is despair. 

We are told that justice is blind. In Malaysia, however, it seems to possess remarkably good eyesight. It somehow never mistakes a Tan Sri or Datuk Seri for an ordinary taxpayer. Perhaps it is time to relocate courtrooms into private hospital VIP wards. It would save everyone the ambulance ride, the adjournment applications, and the elaborate choreography. We could become the first country where the Intensive Care Unit and the High Court share the same corridor.

 

 

Reference:

Malaysian Politicians Provide Free Drama on Netflix, Sukudhew (Sukhdave) Singh,

This title was summarized by AI from the post.