FOR the past month, Malaysians have been treated to a spectacle of continuous hue and cry – one from a 98-year-old and one from the wife of an 85-year-old.
Both are decrying political persecution and a supposed outright vendetta using the law against their families, as a means of somehow exacting vengeance on perceived sins of the past.
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been castigating the government, particularly his one-time deputy and successor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, for investigating his eldest son, Mirzan.
While he tried playing the victim in his press statements and subsequent drawn-out media conferences, what comes across is Dr Mahathir’s sense of entitlement and zero recognition of his privilege.
The same could be said of Tun Daim Zainuddin and his wife, Toh Puan Na’imah Abdul Khalid.
Many could have put up with their repeated insistences that they are model citizens and shrewd business owners.
But the sense of entitlement became obvious when Na’imah requested to be charged in court at her convenience.
It is plain to see, people who once walked the corridors of power have forgotten that the rule of law applies to everyone, regardless of wealth and position.
Regular Malaysians would be summoned to give statements to MACC at its headquarters or state offices, not the other way around.
Regular Malaysians could not dictate to the public prosecutor or the courts when was the best time to be charged.
Regular Malaysians certainly could not complain about having to declare their assets within 30 days after being served with a MACC notice.
Regular Malaysians are subject to audits on their income and even probed for living beyond their means.
Leading an ultra-rich lifestyle is not inherently a crime in Malaysia. The question is how the wealth was amassed.
Were any laws broken in the process? Abuse of power and misappropriation of public funds?
Besides, those being investigated should take their own advice and prove your innocence in court. You don’t need a former attorney-general or solicitor-general to tell you that.
While I cannot quote Shakespeare at the top of my head, I have a motivational quote used by the UK government during World War II: Keep calm and carry on.
Try it for a change. Malaysians have been doing that for the longest time. – January 24, 2024
Khaw Chia Hui is the Executive Editor of Scoop