OUR country must be governed for the people and by the people, not by corrupt and abusive leaders.

Politicians should not underestimate the anger and determination of the citizens to bring corrupt leaders to account, even if the government may wish to block the path of justice.

Systemic corruption generates a seismic anger.

Corrupt leaders consider themselves above the law. 

It has become not just a pressing moral issue, but a matter of security too. They endanger both citizens and society. 

Millions of their people are unable to live their lives to their full potential. 

Instead, they suffer abuses while the corrupt enjoy impunity.

With the complicity of banks, advanced technology now allows kleptocratic leaders and other criminals to move huge amounts of money around the world at the click of a button.

We must not let the corrupt get away with it. 

The people have the ultimate say over who is elected in a general election.

What some people are unaware is that there is a “money election” in which the funders get to vote. 

The funders will get to influence the candidates who wish to run in a general election.

To run in the general election, the political parties must do extremely well in the money election. 

“Lobbyists” or cronies at the center feed on polarisation. They feed on dysfunction. The worse it is for the rakyat, the better that it is for the fundraising.

The majority of us knows this, yet we ignore it. 

We would rather focus on problems such as climate change and sustainability.

To many of us, these are the manageable problems, so we ignore this corruption.

Today, we cannot ignore this corruption anymore. 

We need a government that works for the people, the poor, the disadvantaged, and the marginalised.

Reform is impossible until corruption ends.

It will take generations to extirpate the DNA of corruption in a people. 

Change the incentives, and the behaviour will change. – August 19, 2022.

* FLK 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.