27 Aug 2026 may be a day of infamy for the country.
But for many, if not majority of the ordinary Malaysians, it was just another day.
Another day of trying to eke out an honest living, going through the perpetual traffic jams trying to go to work and home while the politicians and the political elites were scheming with each other on how to rip ordinary Malaysians off with their `toll’ schemes on every conceivable services supposedly made available at no costs to them.
Were Malaysians surprised and shocked with the news that 3 former PM were in the Courts on the same day, charged for corrupt practices during their tenure as PM?
No.
Were majority of the ordinary Malaysians ashamed of this?
No.
In fact, Malaysians are just wondering why the long delay in producing them before the courts.
The continuous exposure to corrupt acts committed by leaders and politicians and the political elites diminishes public shock.
Malaysians are used to hearing and reading of leaders and politicians committing corrupt practices during their time in office.
Malaysians are also used to hearing and reading many of these corrupted leaders and politicians getting away scot free to the extent that even if they are charged for corrupt practices, somehow after a slew of representation letters from the accused, the charges were either amended or revised to become DNAA or in the worse case scenario, withdrawn completely.
Malaysians are getting used to hearing and reading of the political elites and their cronies being treated differently when they are accused.
Some don’t even have to don the purple or orange attires the public are acccustomed to seeing when the accused are brought to the Courts.
Continuous media coverage makes high-level graft feel routine.
While Malaysians may no longer express surprise, this exhaustion often coexists with deep frustration and demands for institutional reforms.
Repeated political promises without systemic change erode trust in Malaysians that there will be changes.
For all the years before PMX was appointed as the PM in Nov 2022.
In a first in Malaysia’s political history, three former prime ministers walked into the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex on Thursday to face their own legal battles.
PM9 was at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to face graft charges while PM6 is fighting out the civil suit filed by 1Malaysia Development Bhd and PM8 is on trial for a corruption case linked to the Jana Wibawa government programme.
Malaysia showed our Boleh spirit again.
It is a rare and striking event—and a potential world first for consecutive former leaders.
Bravo to PMX.
For not bowing to pressures.
The charging of all the 3 former leaders – not some leaders but leaders of the nation at one point in time over the last 10 years - confirms that corruption reached the highest levels of governance during that their respective tenure.
Initially, there were murmurs that the investigation into these leaders, being former PM were victor’s justice that PMX were prosecuting rivals to consolidate power.
But now that all 3 are being formally charged in the courts reaffirms PMX’s long held commitment, leaders who are corrupt will be held publicly accountable.
This is a positive indicator of a country's governance and anti-corruption frameworks.
It demonstrates that no individual is above the law, regardless of their former power.
It shows the court system can operate without political interference from executive branches.
It signals to current and future officials that illegal actions carry consequences.
It reflects the capacity of some politicians to self-correct and transparently address `internal’ misconduct amongst the political elites.
Government corruption is widely considered a major impediment to development.
The judiciary responded to the exposure of corruption where a corrupt leader was held accountable for his actions and convicted of his crimes.
Hopefully, the judiciary follow suit in these 3 cases and hold these x leaders accountable for their actions.
The country already made international headlines with the 1MDB case.
Now, the country again made international headlines with 3 former leaders charged, albeit separately and for different matters except that all 3 cases are for corrupt acts.
How low can the country go?
Malaysians already held their heads in shame with the 1MDB case.
And now this.
Other than covering their faces, what else can ordinary Malaysians do when asked of these 2 shameful acts perpetrated by those who called and hold themselves out as former leaders in this country?
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