The country should put the political saga behind it and refocus on key priorities.
By Richard McManusThis week, Malaysia’s attorney general Mohamed Apandi Ali announced that Prime Minister Najib Razak had been cleared of all corruption allegations linked to debt-ridden state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), revealing instead that the nearly $700 million that had been deposited into the leader’s accounts in 2013 had in fact been a donation from Saudi Arabia’s then-King Abdullah.
With his announcement, the attorney general brought to a close a political saga that had rocked Malaysia’s ruling UMNO party and the country’s economic performance since last summer. Still maintaining strong support from his party, Najib now finds himself secure in his position and free to refocus on the policy goals he had outlined earlier in his tenure. With the scandal now in its rear-view mirror, what should the government’s main policy goals be in the year to come?
Is McManus a pen name for Paul Stadlen, Najib’s highly paid communications ‘guru’ or is he just a fellow that thinks its fine to tolerate a massive scandal, followed by an illegal cover-up if it suits UK/US interests and Malaysia joins the TPPA?
If David Cameron had presided over the theft of US$4 billion from pension funds and development funds and had refused to allow it to be properly investigated and prevented those culpable from being arrested would that be something he would urge Britain to “move on” from?
If Cameron had sacked half his cabinet, arrested, sacked and threatened independent investigators and then illegally appointed an Attoney General, who blatantly ignored the recommendations of the corruption investigators in order to get himself declared ‘cleared’ and the case ‘closed’, would McManus have been pleased to accept foreign journalists telling the British to “move on” and stop fussing?
Is McManus going to give the Swiss AG and Singapore a ticking off also for crying over spilt milk and getting too fussy about their financial integrity issues?