MARCH 25 — I wish to make three comments to Datuk A. Kadir Jasin’s Facebook post as reported in the media on 19 March 2023. The veteran newsman in his posting advised Prime...
MARCH 25 — I wish to make three comments to Datuk A. Kadir Jasin’s Facebook post as reported in the media on 19 March 2023. The veteran newsman in his posting advised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to “move on” from the past and dedicate himself to resolve the economic problems faced by the people.“We have to bury our hatchets, heal the wounds and move on... It’s alright to seek justice.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has put into the forefront of his mission, the need to show the political will and leadership that Malaysia requires to rid the scourge of corruption — to end impunity. — Picture by Sayuti ZainudinPrime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has put into the forefront of his mission, the need to show the political will and leadership that Malaysia requires to rid the scourge of corruption — to end impunity.
There are currently joint international efforts to address impunity in corruption cases under the auspices of the United Nations Anti-Corruption Convention which Malaysia has ratified. One proposal is to establish an International Court on Corruption to prosecute corruption cases where the relevant nation states are unwilling or unable to prosecute grand corruption of their nationals.
. The demons of grand corruption in Malaysia are not imagined. They are real and they are pushing back to regain their political power. These demons must first be exorcised before victory over corruption can be attained. In 1974, US President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon, his predecessor, despite clear evidence of wrongdoing in the Watergate scandal. Ford believed healing the nation from divisiveness was preferred to the destabilising effects of punishing an ex-president. Others have viewed this as a historic mistake. It has emboldened future impunity of the kind Donal Trump is currently accused of.
On the other side of the spectrum, Mexico’s ruling Institutional Revolution Party or PRI established a system of patronage and corruption. Impunity kept Mexico stable during its transition to democracy in the 1990s by placating PRI members’ fear of prosecution after they leave office. But government corruption flourished and so did organized crime.