*****TG likes to be addressed thus, not "DR LIM", as he's one of the humblest academics I have the privilege and honour of having befriended up our BUMMERs' Alley, where we preferred to tehtarik at the socialist BABU stall than at DPP's capitalist CLUB, I Guess.
HERE'S TG's latest rumiNATION PIE from theheatonline.asia:~~~
Najib hangs
on, but at what cost?
By Lim Teck Ghee
8/18/2015 9:00:00 AM
8/18/2015 9:00:00 AM
Prime Minister Najib's image has taken a severe
beating in recent months that it is unlikely he will ever recover fully.
It is clear now that Datuk Seri Najib Razak – for the
foreseeable future – has survived the 1MDB maelstrom and will remain as leader
of Umno and prime minister of the country. But the cost to him, his party and
the nation has been very high – much higher than anyone, including perhaps the
prime minister himself, could have anticipated when the crisis first unfolded.
Najib’s own standing and image have taken an
unprecedented battering from which there is little possibility of recovery.
What is evident is that the allegations of corruption, mismanagement, abuse of
position and criminal culpability targeted at the prime minister have gained so
much mileage and credibility that it looks like a mission impossible to regain
the trust and confidence that he may have enjoyed earlier.
When his own colleagues in Umno openly talk of the “trust
deficit” that is facing the party, it is obvious that they are referring to the
prime minister’s inability to convince the nation that his role in the 1MDB
financial crisis has been above board; and that acceptance of RM2.67 billion in
his personal account –apparently totally unconnected with the billions of
ringgit of mismanaged 1MDB funds – was nothing out of the ordinary. Or that it
was an acceptable and justifiable electoral practice that was in the party's
and national interest.
Some of the most vocal critics of the prime minister now
come from his own party. And it is not confined to the usual suspects such as
the former deputy prime minister and others seen as having a vested interest in
the ousting of the prime minister.
Increasingly, and ominously for Najib’s future, the
grass-root members have decided to speak up. The extent of disbelief and
contempt with Najib’s story line on the money he has acknowledged to be
deposited in his personal account is best illustrated by the speech of a
delegate, Anina Saaduddin, during the recent Langkawi Wanita Umno meeting
accusing him of “urinating on the three million Umno members” for claiming that
he had almost unanimous support from the party.
That accusation on urination which is a crude local slang
term used to mean “lie” or “cheat” has been viewed by hundreds of thousands of
Malaysians. It will continue to haunt Najib long after he has departed from the
political scene.
1MDB Task Force 'Tai Chi'
It is not only the prime minister and his party that have
been grievously damaged. Also suffering blows to their reputation and
with the good name of their leadership sullied have been the four major
agencies tasked with investigating the 1MDB scandal.
The police have been seen to be selective in their
pursuit of the responsible parties and to be completely under the thumb of the
Home Affairs Minister.
The Attorney-General has been confirmed again to be the
hand maiden of the prime minister in all major cases involving the pursuit of
justice.
Similarly too with the MACC. Despite the brave front put
up by its oversight panels and some of its senior officers in reaffirming the
need to conduct the investigation in an independent, transparent and
professional manner without any interference from any third party, its caving
in to the new AG’s decision to disband the task force and its rushed, and
perceived premature, announcement that there is no link between the 1MDB
funding and the donation received in the prime minister’s personal account has
wiped out whatever remnant of public confidence there is in the agency.
The biggest loser in terms of confidence in the integrity
and professionalism of the country’s civil service has been Bank Negara. Much
had been expected of the country’s central bank in playing a lead role in the
task force’s investigation of the mismanagement of the 1MDB funds.
In a long-awaited press conference recently, the Bank’s
Governor, Tan Sri Zeti Aziz (pic), not only crushed public expectations
that the agency would provide full and truthful explanation of the massive
transfers of money related to 1MDB and its related accounts but she looks to
have passed the buck on to the new AG and other banking agencies in taking
action against the financial irregularities found in the 1MDB and “party
donation” scandals.
One cynic has described the aftermath of her press
conference in this way.
Hence, it’s a win-win solution. Zeti will not be sacked
and humiliated the same way former AG Gani Patail did, so she has a clear path
to probably take up international role. PM Najib can now tell all and sundry
that since there’s no irregularities found by the central bank, that means the
US$700 million donation is legitimate.
As for the cost to the nation, it is not only a severely
depleted sovereign fund that we have to live with or the knowledge that
cover-ups, deception, and even possibly crooked and illegal practices may
characterise the nation’s highest level leadership and public
institutions.
The country’s image and sense of respect for itself have
also taken a severe beating as anger, disillusionment, demoralisation and
cynicism take centre stage. Our national mood and sense of well-being will
eventually recover but only with real reform.
Also by Lim Teck Ghee:
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