The Malaysian Insight

THERE is empathy among older Malay voters for former prime minister Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, who are facing multiple charges in court, a survey by pollster Ilham Centre and think-tank Penang Institute has found.

Ilham Centre research head and fellow Dr Mohd Yusri Ibrahim said while focus-group participants believed it is up to the courts to judge the couple, they nevertheless felt sorry for Najib and Rosmah.

“They see it as revenge by the Pakatan Harapan government.

“Participants from the northern region, Sabah and Sarawak, and those who are older feel this way about the charges,” he said at the release of the findings last night.

Najib is facing 38 charges related to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal, the RM2.6 billion “donation” deposited into his personal bank account and other offences.

Rosmah, meanwhile, is facing 19 charges for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

Yusri said younger participants and those from the central region welcomed the charges against the former power couple.

“To them, the charges were long-awaited and uphold the rule of law.”

The attitude of Malay voters was observed in the “post-transition Malay” survey conducted from October 21 to November 21 last year.

The respondents – 125 men and women, including youth, from across Malaysia – were invited by the researchers to share their views in focus-group discussions on political developments following the 14th general election.

PH ousted the long-ruling Barisan Nasional government headed by Najib and Umno in the polls on May 9 last year.

Some of the participants also observed that the court cases post-GE14 were “selective and sided with PH”.

They noted how PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, and DAP secretary-general and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng received favourable rulings in their cases after the government changed.

Rafizi, who was convicted last year under the Official Secrets Act for exposing a page of the 1MDB Audit Report, was released on a good behaviour bond by the Court of Appeal after the former Pandan MP appealed against his 18-month jail sentence.

Last year, the Penang High Court dropped Lim’s graft charges related to his Jalan Pinhorn bungalow purchase.

“The participants expressed concern that the judiciary is leaning towards PH, like what had happened when BN was in power,” said Yusri.

On PH’s efforts to introduce institutional reforms involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, Election Commission, police, Parliament, judiciary and civil service, participants from the northern and southern regions, east coast, Sabah and Sarawak said they had not been following the developments.

But for the participants watching out for the promised reforms, namely youth and those from the central region, they found the situation disappointing, said Yusri.

“They said the government was going about it slowly and not in the way that they expected.

“They urged the government to (implement reforms) immediately, so that the country can recover quickly and the administration can focus on fixing the economy.” – January 5, 2019.