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By Mihar Dias September 2025
Not seven, not seventy-three, but seven hundred and forty-three charges stacked against one former Astro employee, accused of tinkering with the company’s customer management system. Daily Express
Somewhere between the 90th charge and the 743rd, you wonder: are we still in the realm of justice, or has this morphed into a Kafkaesque theatre of the absurd?
In the sessions court, three interpreters took turns like marathon runners passing the baton, reading charges for two hours without a break. Daily Express
The accused, Nora Idayu Jaafar, stood in the dock until fatigue forced her to sit. At an earlier hearing, she even fainted after the 90th charge. One might forgive her body for giving up long before her legal ordeal ends. Daily Express
Now, let’s be clear: if guilty, wrongdoing must face the consequences. The Computer Crimes Act isn’t there for decoration.
But seven years in jail or a RM100,000 fine per offence multiplied by 743? Do the math and the punishment suddenly looks more suited for a Bond villain trying to blow up the moon, not a mid-level employee who allegedly fiddled with corporate accounts.
Yet, here we are. Malaysia, in 2025, has become a land where a single employee can allegedly rewire a data system over seven years without anyone noticing.
Where corporate giants boast of cutting-edge technology but apparently lack internal checks strong enough to prevent what’s now being painted as monumental sabotage.
Where the judicial system grinds on with industrial-strength patience, reading out charges as if justice were a Guinness World Record attempt.
But let’s not kid ourselves—this is Malaysia. Land of the extraordinary, where crimes never come in small packets.
Remember 1MDB? Billions spirited away across oceans, yachts and penthouses bought on the backs of taxpayers.
Remember Rosmah’s closets? Entire mountain ranges of handbags and jewellery that would make even the Louvre’s curators break into a sweat cataloguing them.
When we do crime here, we don’t do petty—we do epic.
So perhaps 743 charges make perfect sense in this national tradition of the larger-than-life scandal. The numbers must be big, the spectacle must be overwhelming, and the public must be left muttering, “Only in Malaysia.”
Really, one can’t help but think: if the charges had reached 747, at least we could have called it a jumbo case.
The court could have been rebranded as a departure lounge, with interpreters doubling as cabin crew: “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts, today’s flight to Justice 743 will take approximately two hours. In the unlikely event of fatigue, oxygen masks and psychiatric evaluations will drop from the ceiling.”
But alas, the prosecution stopped four short—preposterous efficiency by Malaysian standards.
Because in Malaysia, everything must come in quantity. Why stop at one charge when you can have 743?
Why settle for one Gucci handbag when you can have 567?
Why plunder a few million when billions roll off the tongue more smoothly? It’s not quality that counts here—it’s volume.
Seven hundred and forty-three charges. It’s not just a trial—it’s a national metaphor.
A reminder that in Malaysia, even our scandals must be supersized—preferably with in-flight entertainment.
Mihar Dias (mihardias@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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