RECENTLY, there was much talk on whether the Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng should, for the lack of a better phrase, “take it easy” on the revelations of the malpractices of the previous Barisan Nasional government. Apparently, it is spooking investors and the market.

First of all, last I checked, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appointed Lim as the finance minister, not anyone else.

So, with all due respect to everyone else, please step aside and let him do his job. And for goodness sake, please stop trying to compare him with previous finance ministers. Each is different.

Second, all those who were part of the BN government and kept quiet when these malpractices were being  carried out, have no right to even suggest to the finance minister to “take it easy” on the revelations.

It is they who must run and hide, or stay and face the music, whichever be the case. It’s like a thief telling the police not to inform his family of his act of stealing because it will “spook” them.

If I am getting it right, apparently there’s too much expose on malpractices.

Is there such a thing as too much expose? I would think not. It is what it is. Deal with it.

And that is the first step to recovery anyway.  Malaysians must know the actual state of affairs of the country. 

It is only through this knowledge that Malaysians would then fully understand why the Finance Ministry implements certain fiscal policies, which may be unpopular at times but necessary all the same.

I am not sure why malpractices by the previous government should be kept secret by the current Pakatan Harapan government. If it is of a gigantic scale, then so be it. And let it be known.

Allow me to give you an analogy. If a heart surgeon tells you that you have a heart problem, he doesn’t just stop there and send you back home, does he?

He will have to tell you the truth in detail as to the actual state of affairs of your heart. If it is blocked and where. Yes, it might spook you, but that is the truth.

He is not going to spare you the ordeal of telling you the truth just because you are going to get spooked.

Only when you fully understand the actual condition of your heart and appreciate the gravity of the matter, would he then go on to tell you what needs to be done.

And sometimes, when there is no choice, open-heart surgery is required where your chest cavity will be opened up.

The surgeon needs to do this opening so that he can see clearly and properly navigate himself in order to save you. He can’t do it blindly, can he?

Likewise, the new Malaysia needs “open-heart surgery” so to speak.

And to do this, the exact and actual extend of damage have to be determined first and more importantly, made known to the public, not hidden.

We cannot be hiding under cloak of fear of knowing the truth. – June 20, 2018.

* Puthan Perumal is an advocate and solicitor.

* 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.