Are we returning to the bad old ways? 

The Malaysian Insight The Malaysian Insight Updated 7 years ago · Published on 11 Dec 2018 9:00AM · 7 Comments

Deepak Jaikishan (right) paid RM150,000 for a photo of Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail at the Pakatan Harapan fund-raiser on Sunday evening. The carpet seller was a fixer and buddy of former prime minister Najib Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Kamal Ariffin, December 11, 2018.

MALAYSIANS may tolerate bouts of incompetence. Malaysians may stomach occasional flip-flops. Malaysians may ‎even accept policy naivety from the greenhorns in the Pakatan Harapan government.

‎But there is a red line that can never be breached.

We must never accept the new government embracing the insidious and soul-devouring culture of fixers, commission agents and under the table deal-making of the Umno and Barisan Nasional years.

Equally distasteful was the coterie of shady businessmen and hangers-on who populated the ecosystem of Najib Razak and ilk. These businessmen cut deals on behalf of ministers and their family members, and hawked their ties to the power centre for sweetheart deals. 

When Malaysians voted Najib and BN out of power on May 9, it was also a repudiation of a system that spawned corruption, back-room dealing, inflated contracts, etc.

And yet here we are, seven months after the watershed night of May 9 and already there are growing whispers of runners, middlemen and political aides acting as collection agents on behalf of certain ministers and deputy ministers.‎‎

How disappointing it was to scour the cavernous hall of the Putrajaya Convention Centre on Sunday night and see the carpet seller Deepak Jaikishan holding court. The “first lady’s” former bestie even paid RM150,000 for a black and white photo of Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. 

Since the fall of BN, this man has altered the narrative of his once cosy relationship with Najib and wife so many times that many have forgotten that he was a key player in the Altantuya Shaariibuu case.

He and Najib’s brother facilitated the payoff and relocation of a private investigator who alleged in a statutory declaration of Najib’s ties with the murdered Mongolian model. 

Deepak was also said to be Rosmah Mansor’s business buddy, runner and agent.

And there he was, rubbing shoulders and contributing to the coffers of the PH politicians who only months ago rubbished him and his powerful patron at Sri Perdana.

This is akin to politicians talking up a war against organised crime but at the same time, being quite happy to accept money from the Mafia.

Why did Deepak spend RM150,000 on a photograph of the deputy prime minister? Why was he even there? Was he trying to tell the world that he has an inside cable with the new government?

Why was PH even in the same postcode as this relic from the Najib years?‎

Equally distressing was the sight of Stanley Thai ‎paying RM350,000 for an autographed photograph of Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane with the founder of Supermax Corporation – one of the top four glove-makers in the world. 

Just before the 2013 elections, he threw his support behind the opposition and campaigned against Najib.

In the years following that move, he faced a series of insider-trading charges and was sentenced to five years in jail.

Just before GE14, he apologised to Najib for supporting the opposition in GE13.

This is what he said: “I regretted getting involved in GE13 – I believe I had been influenced by the opposition. Being a businessman, I should not be involved in politics under any circumstances and I truly regretted it. I am now sincerely seeking forgiveness from Datuk Seri Najib for what I had done in the last election.”

For good measure, Thai said he also supported Najib’s “sound economic policies”.

So is he going to hold another press conference and wax lyrical about Dr Mahathir or Anwar Ibrahim? There were many businessmen who were put under severe pressure by Najib and his henchmen.

Many were prepared to lose contracts and be consigned to the corporate wasteland rather than bend to the will of the tyrant.

It is perfectly understandable why Deepak and Thai and others paid big bucks for some photographs of our leaders. They want to be close to the levers of power and would love for some of that gold dust of the PH leadership to fall on them.

They want to share tales over dinner on how close they are with Messrs Mahathir and Co. They may even want to buy goodwill from the sweeping investigation involving Najib, Rosmah and their associates.

We can understand the motives of the businessmen.

But it is tough to accept a government that swept to power promising a clean-up of the depraved and decrepit patronage system of Umno/BN breathing the same oxygen with players from the old system.

And accepting money from them.

Here is a word of caution for the PH leadership: same old same old just won’t do. 

If the whispers about commission agents and backroom deals become incessant chatter and if ‎characters from the past re-emerge and take centre-stage again, PH’s hold on power will be short-lived

As it should be. – December 11, 2018.

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Comments

  • Members of the PH administration who read this take heed. If you don't, the rakyat will boot you out in 5 years time.

    Posted 7 years ago by Panchen Low · Reply

  • we are too nave to trust them- sama jenis as BN - cari makan!!

    Posted 7 years ago by Chang kai chong · Reply

  • A very timely warning but will the PH government listen? The mess they created with the 2 Hindu temples, the ICERD and the Suhakam meeeting issues will haunt them for a long time to come. The temple matters were already decided by the courts PH allowed 'some fools to rush in where even angles fear to go and now there is a stalemate with one temple obeying 'law and order' and the other temple in defiance. Let us see how all that drama will end. ICERD was a non issue until PH disturbed it by making it an issue. The 'patronage system' of UMNO/BN is still alive and kicking in PH. Just look at the number of legal help from a particular legal firm in the government in comparison to other even bigger legal firms.

    Posted 7 years ago by Citizen Pencen · Reply

  • Disgusted.....
    same old tactics
    we will see in 5 years time

    Posted 7 years ago by Lan Lan · Reply

  • The party members of Bersatu and PKR are practically from Umno. The DNAS in them never change and still operating as per Umno ideology. Amanah was lucky to break clean from PAS who was on the no hold bar journey to corruptions and widely accepting goodies of all kind with power endowed patronage. Todate PH has been a big let down in their so called formulations of a New Malaysia free from all encumberances of UmnoBN vices. DAP has been very firmed with their MPS in accepting honorifics and play a key role in leading the way but down the road it is hard to visualise that they will be the same to hold sway by the peripherial influence from their partners in PH BUT for now they are already afflicted with the corruption diseases where some party leaders who are clearly seeking out glamour and honorifics to justify their victories. PH has to do more to show their clean, accountable and transparent governance. All PH party members should be voiferous and continously call out their astrayed members to toe the line. The above gift presentaions is bad if PM and DPM start showing bad example and thinking that they do no wrong in their act. Barely eight months over,the power and greed hunger has started to surface. True they are only human but then stop all hypocrisy and charade BUT at least show some decent morality in public and accept the gifts of any kind to be donated for bidding and the money goes into the Charity Funds instead of asking for donations from rakyat to tide over the debts. If a little boy could forgo his needs and without hesitations empty his kitty pot, why can't and elderly matured well endowed politicians do so in similar manners and leading the good example. The photo shows a thousand words on politician without a sense of guilt accepting it to oneslef with glee and beaming with pride, giving false impression that the fully deserve gift are testimonial of a good job done. Niamah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. PH better wake up after so much of ugly fiascos. The tolerance level by rakyat are at tattered ends. High time PH does its own spring cleaning or the rakyat will do a sweeping Tsunami clean up. Stop taking the Rakyat for granted.

    Posted 7 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • I agree. Sadly why do I have the feeling they will not course correct on their own? Must they wait for consequences before they do? It will be too late by then.

    Posted 7 years ago by Robert Cheok · Reply

  • Good op-ed, only: I wish this were true. With UMNO-BN unable to reform itself, what is the alternative to PH? Perhaps, after the complete collapse of UMNO-BN, PSM and regional East Malaysian parties could arise as a credible opposition? Or we may see PH splitting into two or three? Perhaps new parties will arise? I do agree we need to hold PH to account, but without a strong and credible opposition and an active and reactive civil society, the above article (though very timely and striking the right chords) may just be empty threats at the moment.

    Posted 7 years ago by Anak Kampung · Reply