JULY 28 is a special day for Malaysia.

On this date in 2020, we saw the culmination of a lengthy 1MDB-related trial when Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali found Najib Razak, the former prime minister, guilty of seven charges of criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering. His lordship sentenced Najib to a 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine, equivalent to five times the RM42 million he took into his accounts.

Looking back in 2015 on the  same date, Muhyiddin Yassin was sacked as deputy prime minister for speaking out against Najib, the prime minister then, over the 1MDB scandal. This put him in the company of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as the second deputy prime minister to be sacked in Malaysia.

In just five years and one general election later, the two men went on different trajectories in their lives, where one suffered a humiliating fall from grace as the most powerful man in Malaysia and became the laughing stock of the country; while the other ascended to the pinnacle of Malaysian politics through his own scheming. For once, we saw that nobody, even if you are from the political aristocracy, is above the law. We also saw that if you are a nobody, you have an opportunity to enter the rarefied air of politics.

More so, the country has undergone greater polarisation over race and religion than any given moment in 63 years, as Malay nationalists rallied together under one banner of Perikatan Nasional (PN) after losing GE14. This wasn’t solidarity amongst most of the Malay populace, but rather the consequences of indoctrination and siege mentality often used in the Malay nationalists’ playbook.

While Pakatan Harapan might feel vindicated through this verdict, the last laugh will not be theirs. 

Recall the uproar among Malay nationalists when Lim Guan Eng was acquitted from his bungalow trial by an unpopular decision by then-attorney general Tommy Thomas. In hindsight, this was a huge political misstep on the part of PH’s strategy as they had lost the moral high ground for not going through with the trial.

As new investigations have been opened by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission into the involvement of Lim Guan Eng in the Penang underwater tunnel, Malay nationalists will have reinvigorated their pursuit of vengeance for the downfall of one of their own. If there is a case, I trust that PH’s dissolution will come sooner than one thinks, and it won’t be pretty.

Underlining this, Muhyiddin has proven to be a master strategist in contrast with Dr  Mahathir Mohamad, where the former was subtle and let matters unfold while the latter was known for his heavy-handed tactics and strongman stance.

The conviction of Najib under this government and performing an adequate job in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic with generous aid packages to the people, his approval and popularity among the people has never been higher. At the very least, those from the Umno leadership such as Zahid Hamidi and Tengku Adnan who are currently under trial or investigation will be cautious to prevent a similar end for themselves as the sword of Damocles hangs above them.

By letting matters take its course, Muhyiddin has distanced himself from the corrupt image that has tainted his former party Umno and established a moderate and gentle father figure image that he has worked hard to cultivate. It will be difficult to imagine that attempts to oust him from within PN will take place despite the rumour mill on overdrive. Though there has been talk to bring Muhyiddin back into the fold of Umno to maintain PN’s grip on power. 

Be that as it may, Malaysia has a long way to go before we become a sophisticated democracy, where the electorate chooses the best people to lead the country. These issues of corruption and power struggles are part and parcel of a young democracy’s teething pains. After all, compared to the rest of the world, Malaysia has only existed for 63 years. To undo the structural problems would take more than snap polls and the people must not only vote wisely but be actively engaged in the democratic process. – July 29, 2020.

* Seah Eu Hen reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.