The Malaysian Insight

FOURTEEN Orang Asli died recently, felled by a mysterious illness that has no known cause.

There are still malnourished schoolchildren in Putrajaya, there are jobless medical graduates, some states still allow underage brides and the economy is still sour. 

But our attention today will be on the alleged Facebook video confession of a political aide confirming he had sex with a minister on the campaign trail in Sabah and urging the authorities to investigate alleged corruption of the said minister. 

And all this happening exactly one week after the controversial appointment of Latheefa Koya as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner. 

Are both events related? On the face of it, yes, as she was linked to the minister’s faction when she was a PKR member. 

Yes, he’s a PKR minister, the political aide is a PKR member and it would seem that party politics trumps everything else as it did in 1998 when Anwar Ibrahim faced the same type of allegations, lost his job and finally jailed.

Here we are again in gutter politics. 

Here we are again focused on Malaysia’s game of thrones in a post-Mahathir world.

Here we are again with badly done videos and corruption allegations that seem to be of the same standard as Malay dramas with crooks complete with bad haircuts, fake laughter and orange juice. 

The reality is Malaysian politicians need to grow up, they need to know the majority of Malaysians voted for change, be it Pakatan Harapan parties or even PAS, definitely not Barisan Nasional where such sex and graft scandals were the norm.

Malaysians voted for a government that won’t steal or tax them, a government that can solve the middle-income trap, provide healthcare, cut red tape, corruption and generally give them hope if not a better life. 

And good governance where the prime minister and cabinet are accountable and show due process for their decisions. Malaysians wanted a government of the people, by the people and for the people. 

Not one that will still screw the people, if not just themselves. 

Perhaps this kind of political shenanigans exist because it’s still the same politicians running the show. And these are the only tactics they know, using homosexuality and graft claims – notwithstanding putting it on Facebook rather than sending grainy 3gp video clips. 

But the effect is the same, the police and the MACC will probe into this scandal and Putrajaya has to deal with this, to the detriment of the work ahead for the rest of the PH mandate and manifesto. 

This scandal could be true or it could be a lie. But what is certain is that Malaysians will still suffer this gutter politics instead of having a different government solving the issues blighting Malaysia.

A new Malaysia? No, it’s an even older one. – June 12, 2019.

* Jahabar Sadiq runs The Malaysian Insight.