The news of Zahid Hamidi's Discharge Not Amounting to an Acquittal (DNAA) has sparked many soul-searching Malaysians praying for Anwar Ibrahim.
Commentators and even a former managing director express their feelings. Creatively, their catharsis or deep-seated feelings emerge. Catharsis is the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions:
One Facebook post by a former Managing Director reads: “A Prayer for Anwar. My PM Anwar has eyes, but he will not see.
“He has ears but will not hear the silent pleas in this world of bigotry and unfettered hate.
“All truths are drowned by power, fear, and charade. Anwar speaks of reforms and dreams that must come true, yet his actions falter, leaving doubts anew. Like whispers in the wind, his promises raise hope but often leave us feeble and thin.
“Please, God, let not blindness cloud his inner sight, Nor let deafness shield him from what's right, Tell him, God, leadership is more than words alone. It's in the deeds that grow, the seeds of hope, he's sown.
“In this complex world, where visions must be clear. Please, God, guide his path, free from doubt and fear.”
Zahid was on Monday granted a DNAA on all 47 of his corruption, criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering charges.
He had been accused of embezzling millions of ringgits from his foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi, and accepting bribes for various projects during his tenure as the home minister between 2013 and 2018.
Another Aliran article reached out to God in an exclamation. “Oh my God! We prayed this would not happen – because, at the back of our minds, there was this sneaking, needling possibility that this would come to pass as a political solution. We are right that it turned out to be so; there is no joy in our hearts – only a crushing, excruciating pain that our hopes have been shattered.
The writer, P Ramakrishnan has been an Aliran member since its inception in 1977, serving on Aliran’s executive committee for 36 years, half of that period as Aliran's president (1994-2011). He continues to serve as an Aliran member, highlighting issues of public interest to a larger audience.
“Is this the shameful price that has to be paid to remain in power? Can we, in future, take seriously any rhetoric that corruption will not be tolerated, that the corrupt will be prosecuted and made to pay for their crime, that there will be no compromise in our determination to punish those who betray the trust and destroy the dignity of our country as a shining example of a civil society?
“All the hours of serious, thorough investigation over a long period, which secured a prima facie case in a court of law, have been rendered meaningless by the unjustifiable action of the attorney general. He has pulled the rug from underneath the feet of justice, causing it to come tumbling down into the dirt in disgrace,” said Ramakrishnan.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, associate professor and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns going undercover as a beggar, security guard, blind man, disabled salesman and Member of Parliament.
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