Who will save Malaysia?
The IMDB Episode with its many ramifications is of much concern to me as a citizen, relying on the monthly pension and a little savings as the primary sources of income. The many questions relating to the leakage of the sovereign fund of the country, 1MDB, to the account of Malaysian Official No 1, involving billions, have not received satisfactory responses. Funds from Tabung Haji and KWAP were said to have been invested in this questionable ventures. In the efforts to quash the allegations, the related government institutions such as the Attorney General Office, Band Negara, PDRM, SRM and PAC have been weakened with termination and transfers of senior officials. Corruption is pervasive in the country and the millions stashed in the homes of two senior officials of the Water Works Department in Sabah (see newspaper cutting) was another high profile case of corruption and the latest report has listed Malaysia as the most corrupted country in the world, a shameful testimony to the pervasive abuses. These leakages have their consequences. As Shanmugam in his write-up in Viewpoint column in the Star, the illegal money also called black money are not kept in the bank nor are they in circulation, thus contributing money going out of the system and weakening the currency. Corruption and leakages in Government also contribute to lack of confidence in the country, inducing many to put their savings in foreign countries in more stable and strong currencies.
Mariam Mokhtar, in her article 'Who will save Malaysia?' in FMT News (see website link) provided a long list of challenges facing the country - poor governance, disrespectful to rule of law, confrontations between pro and anti-government groups , racial and religious intolerance, declining standards of education, increasing crime rates (murders, gang wars etc), abuses of the environment with bauxite mining in Pahang, illegal deforestation widespread in many parts of the country and pollution of rivers which are the sources of water supply, power abuse and hounding of individuals involve in human rights. In addition to her list, are the existence of illegal businesses from gambling dens, massage parlours, prostitution dens; the million of illegal immigrants that found their way to the country and the security situation arising from the increasing activities of militant extreme religious groups.
The question as to who can overcome these challenges. No doubt about it - we the peoples and citizens of the country. Let us do in our small way, work towards getting a more enlightened leadership that display the courage to fight corruption, have high integrity and commitment to see a Malaysian nation that each one of us is proud of.
Posted on 12 October, 2016
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