Not just presently.
But has been for the last 40+ years.
The quantum being revealed just got bigger and bigger with each passing year.
Starting from the thousands to the hundreds of thousands to billions of Ringgit at present.
If nothing is done to limit it, soon corruption in this country will be measured in hundreds of billions in the near future.
The cumulative amount lost to corruption over the last 4 decades could have been translated into free education and schools to all Malaysians.
More hospitals and government clinics build especially in other lesser well off states in this country.
Improved infrastructures.
Unfortunately, none of these happened.
This ongoing issue often leads to public frustration with the political process and a perceived decline in the quality of democracy.
We can’t rely solely on the authorities to stop this.
Be it MACC and the justice system.
Many of the politicians would not do anything to overhaul the broken system we have in this country.
We, the ordinary rakyat can’t just sit down and cry over this.
By now, we know that we can’t depend on the politicians to do anything on this issue.
Are there any real solutions that we, the ordinary rakyat, can fight for outside the political system?
Introduction of a public financing act and not a political financing act?
A public financing act that gives public monies to every political candidate so that their parties don’t rely on monies from private or corporate donors seeking favors from these same politicians whom we voted in later?
Is this a pie in the sky idea?
Public financing gives grassroot candidates enough resources to run competitive campaigns and an even chance to win their seats.
Otherwise, based on the present political landscape, grassroot candidates who are not from any of the few big political parties finds it hard to compete and canvass against candidates backed by those big political parties who not only have the financial clout but the infrastructure that support their campaigns.
Private donors be it individuals or corporate knows that in a real democracy of one person one vote system, many of the policies that are hugely unpopular and self enriching policies would not have been implemented in this country.
Thus, these private donors be it individuals or corporate and their political nominees are working hard to maintain the corrupt status quo at every general election that lets them buy political outcomes.
Can they be stopped?
Only if the majority of the ordinary rakyat make anti corrupton the focus on our politics.
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