IN a triumph of good governance and accountability, on July 31, former PM Najib Razak’s Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF) was investigated and permanently shut down. Almost precisely a year ago, I reported that Najib’s GMMF was a failure – being neither global nor a movement nor moderate. “It should be closed,” GMMF’s own former chief Saifuddin Abdullah stated recently. 

It gives me no pleasure to mark the end of a failed organisation that was supposed to help people. Over the last eight years, leaders successfully launched influential movements around the world, such as the #MeToo juggernaut, the Occupy movement against economic inequality, and even a global movement against drinking straws. But no global movement of moderates ever formed, despite millions in funding and eight years of buzz. 

Let’s admit it: The main purpose of Najib’s GMMF was to try to make the extremist Najib look like a moderate on the international stage. But notwithstanding Najib’s best efforts, world leaders still see him for what he is: an enabler of extremists and the least credible Malaysian to champion moderation. For example, during Najib’s term in office, extremists like Jamal Yunos and Zakir Naik freely spread hate, and bigots in PAS openly called for a Muslim-only cabinet.

The GMMF’s lack of transparency was outrageous: It never published measurable targets to reach, progress reports, nor financial reports, like most foundations. When GMMF senior manager Jenny Wong indignantly replied on this site that it was a “process,” she failed to report how many millions of Malaysian taxpayer money were lost on “processes” like expensive lunches, seminars, and useless “courtesy calls” overseas in seven years. 

Even by the time it closed, the GMMF still had no mission or vision statement. Nor did the GMMF ever speak out against the Barisan Nasional government’s numerous documented human rights abuses.

Instead of spending wisely, the GMMF CEO Nasharudin Mat Isa frantically flew around the globe to capture photos of awkward “grin and grip” handshake trips overseas, but he provided no explanations of what he discussed, nor of these lavish international trips’ outcomes. In hindsight, Mat Isa’s sacking and humiliation this week was unavoidable.

As the G25 of distinguished Malaysian officials recently noted, whoever thought a PAS leader such as Mat Isa was a good choice to champion moderation in the first place? Under Mat Isa and Najib’s watch, not only did diverse Malaysians lose faith in each other, the country also became one of the most divided societies in the world. 

Ridiculously, Najib’s GMMF was prominently highlighted in Hasanah Abdul Hamid’s now-infamous letter to the CIA, which requested election interference. But the US never took the GMMF seriously, anyway. For example, in one of the most honest moments at the UN, in 2017 the official American delegation publicly rejected a GMM resolution, because of its “concerns about the current capacity of the government of Malaysia’s Global Movement of Moderates Foundation to conduct proposed activities.” 

In other words, the competence of Najib’s GMMF was questionable to many on the global stage, and for good reasons.

Lessons learnt? It’s important to challenge and confront incompetent organisations. Also, Malaysia’s many honourable civil-society organisations – such as Projek Dialog, the Islamic Renaissance Front, and the Malaysian Consultative Council – were arguably more successful at producing moderates than Najib’s GMMF. They still host cross-cultural dialogues on difficult socio-religious issues, propose new policies, and develop an atmosphere of acceptance and moderation. 

It’s time for Dr Mahathir  Mohamad to empower these grassroots organisations so that they can isolate extremists in Perkasa, Umno and PAS,  to make way for the next generation of moderate leaders. 

And good riddance to Najib’s so-called Global Movement of Moderates. – August 3, 2018.

* Athena Angel 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.