Azam Baki and the stone deaf government


TO be fair, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki, who is currently embroiled in a controversy over the questionable purchase of shares, has not been found guilty of wrongdoing in a court of law.

But in the court of public opinion, Azam’s position as the top man in the country’s top anti-graft agency, is no longer tenable. The least he should do is to step aside while investigations into his alleged wrongdoings are under way.

But in Malaysia, a public or elected official voluntarily stepping aside until they are cleared of wrongdoings is as rare as a sighting of the endangered Malayan tiger in the wild.

How is it that we have cultivated a culture where the powers-that-be can so shamelessly turn a deaf ear to cries for transparency and good governance? What went wrong?

The reality is that the government has become stone deaf to the aspirations of the people. The government leaders’ desire to accede to the wishes of the rakyat ends where their self-interest begins.

And we have allowed this to go on for decades, at the expense of the rakyat’s wellbeing. Over the years, there has been scandal after scandal involving billions of ringgit in taxpayers’ money going missing with no one brought to book. Occasionally, perpetrators are given a slap on the wrist.

This happens in every strata of government from the cabinet to the village security and development committee. It doesn’t help that Malaysians have short memories.

How many of us still recall the allegations of sexual misconduct involving a minister in Sandakan in 2019? The fact that there was a video of a sworn statement from the victim and footage of the alleged act appeared to have little slipped the minds of many Malaysians.

The authorities were also silent over the case, in which either the VIP or the victim must be telling the truth. But neither the minister was charged with misconduct nor the victim charged with giving a false statement.

This lacuna is deeply unsettling as it chips away at our faith in the independence of government apparatus. And the VIP in question is now running for higher office.

But we must not forget that the likes of the senior minister and Azam are just a microcosm of the systemic problems in the country. Whether through action or inertia, most of us have played a role in allowing this to fester in society.

It is time we turn this around and make sure that this government actually listens to the voices of the people. We cannot allow our children and grandchildren to look back and see how we had glossed over the misdeeds of those who put the future of the nation at risk. – January 17, 2022.

* Jonathan Fang 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.


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