AS Tony Pua spearheads a renewed campaign over the 1MDB scandal today, the Pakatan Harapan leader revealed his greatest disappointment in his seven-year crusade of the issue.

It was not the fact that the cabinet continued to defend the prime minister and 1Malaysia Development Berhad adviser Najib Razak, nor was it the lack of criminal charges over the alleged crimes that took place in the debt-ridden state investor.

For Pua, the greatest disappointment was that Malaysians were not outraged enough over the seriousness and scale of the scandal to force Najib to resign.

It is estimated that 1MBD lost almost RM39 billion over five years because of fraud and mismanagement. American authorities alleged about US$4.5 billion has been stolen from the fund.

But even as the world was shocked by expose after expose on how the money was allegedly stolen and spent by people close to Najib, not enough Malaysians spoke out against it, said Pua.

In contrast, in the same time frame that 1MDB was unfurling, mass protests in Brazil, Thailand and South Korea brought down sitting presidents and prime ministers over their own corruption scandals.

“In South Korea, the president was forced to resign over crimes that were far lesser than 1MDB,” said Pua of Park Geun-hye, who resigned over a political donation scandal involving her aide.

In Brazil, president Dilma Rousseff was impeached in September 2016, after a 10-month legal battle, where she denied charges of manipulating the country’s budget.

Although the 1MBD did not directly implicate Najib, probes have revealed that about US$732 million of money misappropriated from it ended up in his personal bank accounts.

Najib has denied all wrongdoing and claims the funds were a donation from a Saudi royal.

But the lack of action from Malaysians has not discouraged Pua.

“I am not disappointed with Malaysians but that they were not more angrier,” said Pua, who has been banned for travelling overseas and to Sabah and Sarawak for his constant talks on 1MBD.

But as he gears up for the ceramah today in the Penang Umno stronghold of Kepala Batas, the disappointment has turned into excitement.

He is excited because the forfeiture suits in the US over the past three weeks has sparked interest in 1MDB again among Malaysians and he plans use to make 1MDB the defining issue at the 14th general election.

“Maybe Malaysians will express their anger differently. Hopefully, they will do it through the ballot box. And that is good enough.”

The roadshow today kicks off a nationwide tour to explain the 1MDB scandal to rural Malaysians, who are the bedrock of Barisan Nasional’s support. 

PH’s hope is that the latest bombshell – the US$27.3 million (RM117.1 million) spent on a necklace bought for the wife of Malaysian Official No. 1 – will spark anger in rural areas towards BN.

“My hope is that this road show will put 1MDB at the forefront of voters’ minds when they cast their ballots in the next election.” – July 6, 2017.