IN not so many words, Parti Warisan Sabah leader and former cabinet minister Shafie Apdal has been linked to corruption to the tune of RM1.5 billion that was meant to have been dispensed by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry he once led.

It’s not just him though. His family and supporters in Sabah are also affected. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is now probing 14 Sabah firms linked to alleged misappropriation of RM48 million in government funds meant for rural development, as part of the wider investigation.

In retaliation, Shafie, after six days of detention, has vowed to name and shame Sabah leaders whom he alleges have benefited from the projects, particularly his political foe, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman.

He should not stop there. Don’t just clean up Sabah but clean up Malaysia too.

In the words of US President Donald J. Trump, Shafie should drain the swamp.

He should name his former colleagues who siphoned taxpayers’ money to put into their own pockets. He should name all those with kleptocratic tendencies in the ministries that he has served in.

That would be the strongest sign that he is prepared to break from the past. Instead of acting like the few who claim to have boxes of evidence but do not produce them, Shafie should walk the talk and reveal all.

He said as much in an interview with The Malaysian Insight, a week before he was arrested.

“I was in Najib’s inner circle. I know a lot,” said Shafie, referring to his close pal, Najib Razak, who is the Malaysian prime minister and Umno president.

And yesterday, the bitter politician spat this out, “Sabahans didn’t know Najib. I helped to make his politics a success in Sabah.”

Shafie does have cause to be hurt even if all the stones he casts will also shatter the glass house he lives in. He was seen as one of the better-performing ministers when Najib’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) was assessing performance annually.

Shafie said there were no complaints when he was in the Cabinet but now there are investigations and allegations being cast far and wide, much to his chagrin.

All this says one thing about Umno – all is well and fine if you are on the same side but heaven help you should you fall out of favour and are cast aside. The you’re-either-with-me-or-against-me zero sum game has been in play since well before Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s time in Umno, and continues until today.

Well, that game should come to an end. Shafie should reveal all that he knows because the knives are out for him and it will be some time before he gets his day in court.

Now is the best time to come clean and reveal all, and drain that swamp whose leakage cost Malaysia millions in tax ringgit to plug. – October 29, 2017.