Those of us who may have been soft hearted and soft headed enough to feel a twinge of pity for Najib Razak over the past months of his ‘court ordeal’ have learnt our lesson.
Plainly, if he ever lost sleep over the horrible death of his lovely ‘translator’ Altantuya it was in the planning of how to shut up his bodyguards as they did time for it in jail. As for stealing a few billion dollars, who wouldn’t if they could?
‘PM8’ has been desperately trying to keep this dreadful man (and his fellow criminals) behind the scenes, whilst obeying all the dictates of their party which is so crucial to propping up this unconfirmed yet authoritarian and aggressive administration.
The low point so far has been letting off Najib’s son Riza, whilst claiming the decision had nothing to do with him or indeed anybody in his government (preferring ludicrously to blame the predecessors who charged him in the first place).
However, as the drowning puppet PM retires to rest for yet another 14 days, the real man in charge is emerging centre stage as clear as daylight. On Najib’s agenda are plenty of further low points for Malaysians to endure, including his own exoneration over the SRC trial which ends next month.
Meanwhile, another howler. The official ‘PM8’ has remained largely silent over the outrageous pillaging of public company leadership posts by scrabbling MPs bought over to prop the coup. It has been followed, inevitably, by their abuse of such positions – and yesterday Najib leapt happily in to defend the process.
Corruption As A Form Of Government
When an appalled Teresa Kok highlighted a particularly egregious hundred million ringgit ‘contract’ awarded by one of the several MPs just appointed to head a GLC for a project in his own constituency, the ‘backbencher’ Najib took time off his own corruption cases to shout her back.
He didn’t attempt to justify the abuse or the handing of top public administrative posts to elected MPs, he just claimed PH had done just as bad things. “Are projects in Ipoh Barat by the Ipoh Barat MP allowed, but projects in Jerantut by the Jerantut MP are not allowed? What are Kok’s views on this” he demanded on his favourite Facebook.
The fact that there is no equivalence has not worried Najib, since false equivalence is the trademark of those engaged in mass corruption. I am stealing and pillaging, but look what people from your race/party/country did last year/a thousand years ago, is their preferred argument: in short, someone else once sinned so why should not I and who are you to criticise?
Of course, Teresa Kok was not the decision maker for the contract Najib referred to and it was awarded according to proper tendering processes and for a public interest reason, whereas the contract she was complaining about had been awarded by the MP to his own constituency without due process or good reason less than a month after he had taken up his inappropriate GLC position.
It is no secret these GLC positions were offered up as bribes to MPs. In fact, the Secretary General of the PAS ‘religious party’ has notoriously admitted it as if there were nothing wrong. Since many of the MPs thus rewarded are naturally unsure how long this Covid Coup might last, they are taking the opportunity to cash in quick.
Given Najib yesterday sprang to defend such actions, by claiming (falsely) that his opponents do it too, it confirmed that his experience of the past two years, branded as the author of the world’s largest recorded theft and facing a list of kleptocracy charges longer than his arm, has done nothing to change his character or outlook.
For him corruption remains the prime instrument of government and the way of the world: cash is king. He plainly believes he is saving the champions and upholders of law and order from the consequences of their own naivety by coming back to power to show them how things are really done. First though, all critics must be put away.
Najib is, in fact, a classic product of inherited privilege, pampering and indulgence – a man who considers himself entitled to be in charge and entitled to be let off the rules that apply to everybody else. All his life people like him learn to escape the consequences of their own actions, because somehow someone has always intervened to protect him from them, owing merely to who he is.
He thinks he is going to get off this time too and is jubilant that his establishment network and dirty deep pockets have proven so effective with this coup so far.
He was plainly discomforted by his experience with the courts for the past several months, despite the Rolls Royce treatment he ought never to have received, but now he sees the wind blowing back in his direction and it has confirmed his confidence that the world is designed for the benefit of a privileged few – of whom he was born to be one.
So, he won’t shut up.
He cannot resist daily telling everyone how right he is about everything and how corruption and bribery and feudal loyalties are how the world has and will always be run. Whilst at the same time he feels obliged to lie about it too, as he defends his case with fairy tales about generous Sheikhs and a Chinese boy who stole billions and put them in his bank account without him realising what was going on.
What would have done Najib a real favour would have been some time in a prison jump suit and sharing time behind bars like others who misbehaved like him. He has happily dished out that treatment to his political enemies, innocent or otherwise. They have benefited from understanding the pain of others, whilst he has not.
It means that if he is allowed to remain with a whip hand over this PN government or worse return to being prime minister (which he plainly views is just a matter of time as ‘PM8’ rapidly relinquishes all pretence of running the country) he will destroy all Malaysia’s hopes of future prosperity and freedom.
His corrupt model of buying widening circles of influence amongst rent men who leach off the rest of the population has already brought a wealthy and blessed economy almost to its knees. Now the returning hyenas are laying into what’s left and will never take no for an answer from the likes of the compromised Najib.
So, like a drunken gambler Najib will have the country back in hock to every dirty lender on the planet within six months. He has already played that game with China, ever ready to turn KL into a new Hong Kong just a few loans down the line.
Malaysia needs rid of this pernicious threat and Najib sadly needs a tougher lesson than the pampered, drawn-out process politely described as a trial so far. The Coup Coalition is dependent on his sort and is therefore not fit for purpose and they all should go before it is too late fore everybody else.