M.Krishnamoorthy
A media coach, adjunct professor and author
Race has been long used as a placard and smokescreen to divide Malaysian society.
“The Malays have been continually described as needing support to rise above their handicaps,” said columnist Murray Hunter.
UMNO gave away goodies to rule the nation for over 50 years. The elephant in the room is the elite.
“Thus, special privileges ranging from education and civil service quotas to institutionalised discounts on property are espoused as necessary to help the Malays. Over the years, these policies have created a sense of entitlement within Malays, where many expect the government to provide for them. The ‘myth of the lazy Malay’ conjured up by Mahathir Mohamed in his book ‘The Malay Dilemma’, to some extent, became a self-fulfilling prophecy by introducing the New Economic Policy (NEP),” said Hunter, an entrepreneur, former academic, author, thinker, interested in South-East Asian affairs.
Hunter added by ‘feeding the Malays cake’: “The real divisions of society could be hidden for many years. Many Malays were very grateful for what they were given, and UMNO told them to show their gratitude by voting for them each election. This kept UMNO in power for more than 50 years. This also allowed a class of elites to accumulate great wealth, far beyond the ordinary person's imagination.
“This wealth accumulated by a class of the elite was well-hidden from the public, especially before the advent of the internet. Anti-corruption mechanisms were almost non-existent until the formation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which itself is not independent. The executive controls the MACC, which tells MACC management what to pursue and ignore. The top echelons of the civil service looked after their own, bushing corruption under the carpet to avoid scandal. The media has been hindered by intimidation and harsh defamation laws to stifle the very concept of investigative journalism. With self-censorship, most newspapers and news portals have become nothing much more than mouthpieces for the government.
“The ruling elite became untouchable, often citing the slogan “We are the law” in Malaysia. Criticising royalty is taboo. Politicians and their cronies, until now, have escaped legal scrutiny due to a non-independent attorney general and public prosecutor. Defamation laws prevent local investigative journalists and activists from exposing corruption. Whistleblowers are persecuted.”
UMNO lost totally in the 2018 General Elections. You lost GE14 because your leadership was crazy enough to close one eye and allow the robbing to go on. Yes. We knew our problem, and we just let it fester. Now, Umno leaders are blaming Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. So, they are telling the world Najib was the only one to be condemned.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (www.imkrishna.net) is a media coach, adjunct 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.
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