OPINION | Country cannot tolerate corruption or plundering of national wealth, says PM

Opinion
28 Sep 2026 • 6:00 PM MYT
FLK
FLK

Used to do a bit of work in corporate restructuring, corporate `undertaker.

Correction.

The country do not tolerate corruption and plundering of national wealth if the acts are done by ordinary Malaysians.

However, if it is done by the politicians and the elites, it is tolerated.

The frustration and exhaustion felt by everyday Malaysians who work tirelessly under challenging conditions while facing systemic issues like corruption and poor infrastructure is a deeply felt sentiment shared by many in the nation.

It reflects a growing demand among citizens for transparency, accountability, and the efficient management of public resources to improve daily living standards.

The politicians and the elites continued with their ways because they know how the system works and they always get away with it.

Complex legal frameworks, campaign finance systems, and lobbying laws often create loopholes that allow powerful individuals to influence policy legally, blur lines of accountability, and protect their interests.

These powerful individuals typically possess substantial resources, enabling them to secure top-tier legal defense, weather long investigations, and shape public narratives through media access.

1MDB was the biggest corruption in the country’s history.

1MDB was not a theft or burglary.

Most thefts and burglaries are generally committed by a single individual or a small group of people acting opportunistically.

Most burglars and thieves avoid confrontation and act quickly when they spot an unlocked door, open window, or unattended item.

The 1MDB scandal stands as one of the most complex financial frauds in global history, demonstrating how a network of political elites, global financial institutions, legal intermediaries, and shell networks can systematically exploit the international financial system.

The misappropriation of billions from 1MDB required a vast, interconnected network of shell companies, international banks, legal loopholes, and high-level political coverage to move funds across global borders.

But only 1 person. PM6 was arrested, charged and jailed.

Seriously?

And after sentencing, the discount afforded to PM6 revealed that corruption is tolerated and still being practised.

The politicians and the elites are not afraid.

In fact, the sentencing and subsequent pardons for PM6 actually encouraged and emboldened politicians and the elite.

The ordinary rakyat are no fools.

Do not explain away the pardon given to PM6 is that the right to apply for a royal pardon is a constitutional privilege available to any prisoner under Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

MACC in a report in 2020 revealed that 1,101 Malaysians. were arrested for corruption in 2019 compared to 894 in 2018.

Yes, these 1,995 (1,101 + 894) also falls within the ambit and definition of Article 42 of the Federal Constitution.

Would you facilitate the process like what you did for PM6 if the families for these 1,995 prisoners filed in an application for pardon for their loved ones in the next few months?

When a high-profile corruption case is dropped to avoid a "waste of time and resources," it often involves a legal mechanism known as a Discharge Not Amounting to an Acquittal (DNAA) or a decision by prosecutors to withdraw charges based on public interest or changing circumstances.

This perspective captures a profound sense of frustration that many citizens feel when comparing how the legal system treats ordinary people versus powerful elites.

Public frustration peaks when high-profile figures receive sentence reductions, pardons, or have charges dropped (such as cases resulting in a discharge not amounting to an acquittal, or DNAA), while ordinary citizens facing poverty-driven offenses often face immediate and strict penalties.

A housewife who stole a tin of Milo to feed her offpsrings get the full brunt of the law.

This dynamic heavily fuels the public perception that the elites operate under a different set of rules.

In fact, it has now reached a stage whereby the ordinary rakyat are asking, so what they can’t tolerate corruption or plundering of national wealth?

Life goes on the politicians and elites.

They still continue with their ways of corrupting everything with the government and they can still plunder national wealth at their whims and fancies.


FLK (leekhean.foo@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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