There is a pattern developing in graft-inundated Malaysia. Each time a general election ends in a regime change, graft busters rush to investigate fallen leaders and their administration.
The pattern first began to be set in May 2018, when the newly elected Pakatan Harapan government, led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, reopened the investigation into the multibillion fraud involving 1Malaysia Development Berhad.
The second is unfolding now with Pakatan Harapan back in power. While the chase to snuff out corruption is welcome, the pattern is not. This must stop.
Graft-busting shouldn't be regime-dependent. If it is, allegations of selective prosecution would be hard to rebut.
Now with the Federal Court decision and former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak behind bars, we know for sure that he was guilty of wrongdoing. But the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) found it hard to get him.
With a new attorney-general appointed by Najib, a purported investigation into the 1MDB fraud cleared him of any wrongdoing. What's worse, he went after the bribe-busters with a vengeance. One senior MACC officer hearing of a possible arrest had to flee to the United States. And an A-G lost his job.
According to The Guardian then, the A-G was about to disclose Najib's wrongdoing to the cabinet but someone close to Najib alerted him to the possible move. By this time, the 1MDB billion-dollar fraud had taken an international dimension, with Switzerland, the US and Singapore opening their own investigations. Today, another regime change later, we are learning of alleged corruption and other questionable practices in two former administrations.
A source close to MACC tells us that an ex-PM and his son-in-law are being probed for the questionable award of the National Immigration Integrated System. If the allegations are true, it tells us a few things.
One, the government hasn't secured the public purse. Despite the 1MDB scandal, foxes were put in charge of the henhouse.
Two, the MACC hasn't made it easy for witnesses to report the crime to them. MACC's frequent lament is that the people aren't helping fight corruption. But has it made it easy for them to help? We think not. The Anti-Corruption Agency under the late Tan Sri Harun Hashim, the fearless first head, knew how.
Through his novel idea of P.O. Box 6000, he invited the public to write to him on anything they knew about corruption in government without having to disclose their identity. They did and he read every one of them. Bribe-busters need something akin to P.O. Box 6000.
Finally, graft-busters aren't courageous because they aren't independent enough. The 1MDB investigation is a case in point. Five agencies were probing into the billion-dollar fraud, but when they uncovered some wrongdoing they were speedily liquidated. Graft-busters need to regain their independence.
While the graft-busters lack courage, people in power seem to be in want of the fear of God. Those who fear God will know this: there are sins against God and sins against man. For the former, one can seek forgiveness from God, but for the latter one has to seek forgiveness from man. God in all His mercy may forgive us, but man may not. Let's not forget the cry from some kampung folks: "Sampai mati saya tak akan maaf" ( Till death, I will not forgive). With the good conscience of the God-fearing, grand thefts shouldn't happen.