The Malaysian Insight

MALAYSIANS may tolerate bouts of incompetence. Malaysians may stomach occasional flip-flops. Malaysians may ‎even accept policy naivety from the greenhorns in the Pakatan Harapan government.

‎But there is a red line that can never be breached.

We must never accept the new government embracing the insidious and soul-devouring culture of fixers, commission agents and under the table deal-making of the Umno and Barisan Nasional years.

Equally distasteful was the coterie of shady businessmen and hangers-on who populated the ecosystem of Najib Razak and ilk. These businessmen cut deals on behalf of ministers and their family members, and hawked their ties to the power centre for sweetheart deals. 

When Malaysians voted Najib and BN out of power on May 9, it was also a repudiation of a system that spawned corruption, back-room dealing, inflated contracts, etc.

And yet here we are, seven months after the watershed night of May 9 and already there are growing whispers of runners, middlemen and political aides acting as collection agents on behalf of certain ministers and deputy ministers.‎‎

How disappointing it was to scour the cavernous hall of the Putrajaya Convention Centre on Sunday night and see the carpet seller Deepak Jaikishan holding court. The “first lady’s” former bestie even paid RM150,000 for a black and white photo of Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. 

Since the fall of BN, this man has altered the narrative of his once cosy relationship with Najib and wife so many times that many have forgotten that he was a key player in the Altantuya Shaariibuu case.

He and Najib’s brother facilitated the payoff and relocation of a private investigator who alleged in a statutory declaration of Najib’s ties with the murdered Mongolian model. 

Deepak was also said to be Rosmah Mansor’s business buddy, runner and agent.

And there he was, rubbing shoulders and contributing to the coffers of the PH politicians who only months ago rubbished him and his powerful patron at Sri Perdana.

This is akin to politicians talking up a war against organised crime but at the same time, being quite happy to accept money from the Mafia.

Why did Deepak spend RM150,000 on a photograph of the deputy prime minister? Why was he even there? Was he trying to tell the world that he has an inside cable with the new government?

Why was PH even in the same postcode as this relic from the Najib years?‎

Equally distressing was the sight of Stanley Thai ‎paying RM350,000 for an autographed photograph of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane with the founder of Supermax Corporation – one of the top four glove-makers in the world. 

Just before the 2013 elections, he threw his support behind the opposition and campaigned against Najib.

In the years following that move, he faced a series of insider-trading charges and was sentenced to five years in jail.

Just before GE14, he apologised to Najib for supporting the opposition in GE13.

This is what he said: “I regretted getting involved in GE13 – I believe I had been influenced by the opposition. Being a businessman, I should not be involved in politics under any circumstances and I truly regretted it. I am now sincerely seeking forgiveness from Datuk Seri Najib for what I had done in the last election.”

For good measure, Thai said he also supported Najib’s “sound economic policies”.

So is he going to hold another press conference and wax lyrical about Dr Mahathir or Anwar Ibrahim? There were many businessmen who were put under severe pressure by Najib and his henchmen.

Many were prepared to lose contracts and be consigned to the corporate wasteland rather than bend to the will of the tyrant.

It is perfectly understandable why Deepak and Thai and others paid big bucks for some photographs of our leaders. They want to be close to the levers of power and would love for some of that gold dust of the PH leadership to fall on them.

They want to share tales over dinner on how close they are with Messrs Mahathir and Co. They may even want to buy goodwill from the sweeping investigation involving Najib, Rosmah and their associates.

We can understand the motives of the businessmen.

But it is tough to accept a government that swept to power promising a clean-up of the depraved and decrepit patronage system of Umno/BN breathing the same oxygen with players from the old system.

And accepting money from them.

Here is a word of caution for the PH leadership: same old same old just won’t do. 

If the whispers about commission agents and backroom deals become incessant chatter and if ‎characters from the past re-emerge and take centre-stage again, PH’s hold on power will be short-lived

As it should be. – December 11, 2018.