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By Mihar Dias September 2026
There are many good reasons to contribute to a charitable fund.
A sick child.
A flood victim.
A poor family whose house has just burned down.
A student who cannot afford university.
A village that needs clean water.
And then there is the latest Malaysian fundraising opportunity:
Help Bossku pay his RM50 million fine.
I have been thinking about this very carefully.
And after considerable consultation with my wallet, my conscience and my calculator, I have decided to respectfully decline.
No offence.
Really.
I wish the fund every success.
But I am afraid I cannot bring myself to contribute to a fund whose principal objective is to help a convicted former prime minister pay a court-imposed fine so that he can enjoy the benefit of serving the remainder of his sentence under house arrest.
The arrangement is perfectly clear. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has granted Najib Razak conditional clemency allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, subject to payment of RM50 million and compliance with the conditions imposed.
And supporters have responded enthusiastically.
Some have apparently suggested that UMNO members contribute RM50 each.
What a beautifully simple idea.
One million people giving RM50.
Problem solved.
Except there is one small philosophical question:
Why should one million people have to pay a fine imposed on one person?
This is where my primitive financial education gets in the way.
If I receive a parking summons, I pay it.
If I receive a tax bill, I pay it.
If I am fined by a court, I don't normally walk around the neighbourhood with a collection tin saying:
“RM10 from you, RM20 from your auntie, RM50 from your cousin — Bossku needs your help.”
Imagine the possibilities.
Soon we could have:
Tabung Anak Menteri.
Tabung Bekas Menteri.
Tabung Political Leader Who Has Seen Better Days.
And perhaps, eventually:
GoFundMe Malaysia — Pay My Fine Because I Am Very Popular.
I exaggerate, of course.
But only slightly.
The fund's supporters will say this is not about paying a criminal's fine. It is about loyalty. It is about solidarity. It is about supporting a leader they believe did much for the country.
Fair enough.
Political loyalty is a personal choice.
If someone wishes to contribute RM10, RM50 or RM5 million of his own money, that is his business.
But please don't turn my refusal into evidence that I am disloyal, ungrateful, anti-Bossku or insufficiently patriotic.
I am simply exercising another very old Malaysian tradition:
saving my money.
There is also an amusing irony here.
For years we have been told that Malaysia needs a stronger culture of accountability.
Now we appear to have developed a new culture:
accountability — but with a collection box.
Najib's supporters maintain that he was treated unfairly and that he remains deserving of public support. That is their sincerely held position.
Mine is considerably less complicated.
The courts convicted him.
The fine is part of the legal consequences of that conviction.
The King has granted conditional clemency.
And now supporters want to help him pay the condition.
I respect their right to do so.
They should respect my right not to.
So, to the gentlemen and ladies circulating the donation appeal:
Thank you.
But no thank you.
Please don't take it personally.
It isn't that I dislike Bossku.
It isn't that I want him to suffer.
It isn't even that I am particularly attached to my RM50.
It is simply that I have discovered a wonderful new investment strategy.
I keep my own money.
And frankly, after watching Malaysian politics for this long, I think that may be the safest investment of all.
No offence, Bossku.
And good luck with the collection.
Just don't put my name on the donor list.
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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