Malaysiakini : PAS’ appeal runs deeper than mere religiosity. Sure, some folks gravitate to PAS because of the siren call of religion and decades of state religious indoctrination, but there is something more to it than that.

In his writings, Hadi conflates race and class, and English-language audiences only get the “race” bit.

This is why he goes on about the Chinese political and plutocratic class as a means to highlight the economic inequalities between “downtrodden” Muslims and the more economically successful non-Muslims polity.

Reshaping political landscape

Of course, Hadi fails to mention that the system is predicated on keeping the majority dependent on the state and years of policy malfeasance have created a rent-seeking class with deep political influence.

People make the mistake of thinking that Hadi is just pulling this nonsense out of his posterior. He is not. Hadi, like most theocrats in waiting, understands they need to reshape the political landscape so it will be malleable to their religious indoctrination.

And as fascists the world over have come to understand, the best way to do this is to steal ideas from class dialectics and inject religious dogma into foundational socialist principles.

Hadi’s rhetoric is drenched in the kind of class rhetoric that would make a committed socialist quiver. He cherry-picks elements of religious dogma to highlight the inequalities of capitalist systems when it comes to class but ghettoises these ideas in religious supremacy and the power of clerics.

Claiming the DAP has a “colonial agenda” resonates because the political elites at that time surrendered the sovereignty of the country, thereby creating a majority underclass. When young Malays say the political system has let them down, they mean the political elites have let them down.

What Hadi is trying to do

So if you are a disenfranchised Muslim in capitalistic Western-influenced Malaysia, you would take away two points from Hadi. The first is, by virtue of your class, you are being shafted by the system even though your religion and Constitution dictate otherwise.

And the second point, in an Islamic state, the keepers of the faith will protect you from the inequalities of the system because Islam as a system of governance supposedly treats everyone equally.

When Hadi goes after other Muslim political operatives calling them traitors, what he is actually doing is claiming that they are class traitors enamoured by the trappings of wealth while the average Muslim is struggling.

Mind you, everyone from the prime minister to Rafizi Ramli has lamented that political operatives have become enamoured by the trappings of electoral success. Hadi is merely taking that to the logical extreme, conflated with religion.

Sure, he may define opponents as liberals or Western-inspired capitalist propagandists, but what the average struggling Muslim is hearing is that these political operatives are collaborating with the plutocrat class to keep them in subservience.

The fact that the cost of living has gone up and they cannot afford affordable housing, while the urban enclaves seem to be thriving, merely reinforces this Weltanschauung (worldview).

Of fake Muslims and successful nons

The most important part of Hadi’s Tabung Haji spiel is this: “There are too many government and semi-government business institutions suffering losses due to leaks under someone touted as the best finance minister, including among secular politicians who separate themselves from religion by abusing their political positions.

“The group most targeted for action is those with Malay and Islamic brands, from the largest to the smallest, to lower the image of Islam, as if there are none (wrongdoers) from among non-Muslims and non-Malays.

“In fact, economic activities are greater among non-Muslims and non-Malays, especially mega-sized ones that are contributors to corruption.”

Hadi made three points here. The first is that government institutions are corrupt because of fake Muslims and their secular supporters. The second is that Muslim businesses are often the target of the plutocrat class and their political minions.

And finally, the next between corruption, politics and commerce is defined by the economically successful non-Muslim polity.

Potent Urban Renewal Act

This is also why the Urban Renewal Act was such a potent weapon for Hadi. Not only could he play the race card, but more importantly, he could play the class card.

Look at how his no 2, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, defined the URA - “The minister responded that banks are available to provide loans... so the minister wants capitalists to monopolise the process. This is a subtle method to push out those who cannot afford it, particularly Malays and Indians.”

So with this issue, Hadi and co created a narrative that a rich non-Muslim minister is driving out poor muslims and Indians, while the capitalist banking structures profit.

Take the anti-Rohingya sentiment. Malay social media influencers, many of whom are supportive of PAS, continue to stoke the issue because these migrants are in direct competition with working-class Malays.

Who brought them here? Why are they allowed to set up businesses? For PAS, the answer is simple. It is the fault of the political elites and their collaborators who bring in these foreigners, who then economically displace the locals.

At one time, Umno was strong enough to flip the bird at PAS and maintain some sort of corporate religionism of its own, but these days, since the Malay polity is fractured and Umno without a strongman leader, Hadi remains the only game in town when it comes to the religious narrative of the state.

This is why Hadi can claim Perikatan Nasional is willing to forgo seats for Malay unity, when the reality is that there is no real difference when it comes to Islamic first principles that various Malay unity-type deals bring to the state or federal table.

PAS is willing to play the long game when it comes to political power if it means its political opponents or potential allies are weakened by various state elections.

All over the world, far-right forces use religion or culture wars to rile up the disenfranchised, blaming existing systems of governance but having no real desire to change those systems with genuine economic and social reforms.

What folks like Hadi want to do is use the disenfranchised to supplant the current ruling elites with religious cadres loyal only to the party.

The fact that PAS-controlled or influenced states are not socialist paradises of good governance is not the point. As Donald Trump, who won twice, demonstrated, these kinds of populist strategies work, and once you win, you can turn your country into a manure hole of corruption and incompetence.

Finance Twitter : “This decision was made after much deliberation as I embark on a new path to pursue further studies, a journey rooted in service and contribution and not necessarily bound by the world of politics,” – she said. Nurul said she would remain a PKR member and support the struggle for a better Malaysia championed by the party’s leadership under Anwar (her father).

However, in refusing to accept her resignation, PKR Central Leadership Council has instead granted her a leave of absence – indefinitely. PKR vice-president Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who is Home Affairs Minister, will serve as acting deputy president. This means the party deputy president post is being “reserved or frozen” for an unknown period.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil, who is also Malaysia’s Communication Minister cum Propaganda Minister, said – “We discussed Nurul Izzah’s request to step down as deputy president and, after hearing her views and those of the party leadership, the council agreed to grant her temporary leave of absence, which will begin after the national congress for an indefinite period,” 

Exactly why Nurul Izzah’s desire to step down as PKR’s No. 2 leader was rejected, and her resignation was re-packaged as “pursuing further studies” by the party leadership? The short answer – to save face. The long answer – to stop the perception that PKR is a sinking ship as even Anwar’s own daughter disagreed, clashed and abandoned the PM’s leadership and PKR’s direction.

If Izzah – “Puteri Reformasi” or Princess of Reform – is allowed to quit, it would be a slap in the face of the Premier himself. Mr Anwar can’t explain why his own daughter, groomed to take over the party, is quitting. It creates FUD – fear, uncertainty, and doubt. People leave jobs primarily to seek career growth, better pay, or a healthier work environment. You don’t suddenly leave your deputy CEO job.

Yes, nobody believes Nurul Izzah suddenly wanted to further her studies after she was elected around 14 months ago in PKR’s internal election, beating incumbent Rafizi Ramli after an intense campaign. Only Anwar’s cult supporters believe such unbelievable fairy tales. She would not have fought tooth and nail with Rafizi for the deputy president post, only to step down now to further studies.

Rafizi, Malaysia’s former economy minister, later left PKR and took over leadership of Bersama party in May. Why would she make an enemy out of her good reformist comrade by toppling him if she had no interest in the first place to lead the party as the deputy president? Worse, after strategist Rafizi left, she also wanted to leave now after creating all the mess that has weakened the party.

At best, Nurul Izzah has decided to give up his new toy after discovering that PKR deputy president isn’t a cushy job, and she was not up to the mark. At worst, she is giving up after losing hope with both her daddy and the party. Either way, it does not bode well for a ruling party that has bragged about Anwar’s popularity, but suffered several crushing defeats in state elections.  

The fact that Anwar is reduced to trusting someone like the clueless and incompetent Saifuddin Nasution as acting deputy president speaks volumes about the serious problems inside PKR. It seems the party is not only lacking talents, but Anwar’s half-baked plot to bulldoze dynastic politics and nepotism, contrasting with the party’s historical “Reformasi” roots against entrenched political patronage, has backfired.

When power-crazy Anwar plotted against his own deputy – Rafizi Ramli – last year, he arrogantly, stubbornly, and hypocritically ignored and rubbished critics and analysts’ argument that elevating her own daughter to positions like the deputy presidency would undermine PKR’s founding reformist ideals, which long criticized other Malaysian leaders for family favouritism.

The family-centric leadership model is one of the reasons that alienates grassroots supporters who expect merit-based advancement rather than hereditary succession, leading to a loss of confidence, distrust, and even hatred over Anwar’s treachery and betrayal after he got power. Even though Anwar, Nurul, and their supporters maintain that her victory was won through legitimate intra-party elections, the truth speaks otherwise.

To prevent Rafizi from winning, the cheating began when Parti Keadilan Rakyat under the instruction of Anwar abolished its “one member, one vote” system for national leadership elections and switched to a delegate-based system. This effectively transferred the responsibility of electing the party’s top six national office-bearers from 30,000 delegates to merely 222 divisions.

Four years ago, Mr. Rafizi won the party’s No 2 post when he defeated Anwar’s loyalist, Saifuddin Nasution. Despite Anwar’s open support for Saifuddin, Rafizi received roughly 68,992 votes compared to Saifuddin’s 50,038 votes. In the same 2022 party election, Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari defeated Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, who happened to be Anwar’s political secretary and trusted crony.

To unseat Rafizi, by hook or by crook, Anwar had to play dirty, including changing the party election system. The PM knew the only way to topple his deputy was to control or “bribe” a small 222 divisions rather than 30,000 delegates. Under pressure, Nurul reluctantly agreed to be used by her daddy to contest against Rafizi in May 2025. That has tainted her integrity and reputation.

Therefore, furthering studies is just a lazy and lame excuse. After Nurul defeated Rafizi and was crowned as the new deputy president, she led PKR to a disastrous defeat in the Sabah state election. Annihilated with just 1 seat, she practically went silent – and missing – since then. She did not care about the Johor state election, and did not bother to help in the Negeri Sembilan state election.

When someone like Nurul Izzah went MIA (missing in action) and kept a low profile, it’s not just a short burst of frustration or sulking. It’s a demonstration of dejection, depression, and disappointment. That sadness translates to hopelessness, and eventually gives up entirely. And she was right to give up after Sabah, as his daddy would lead Johor and Negeri Sembilan to two more crushing defeats.

Apparently, she had disagreed with certain directions the party was taking to the extent of facing “pressure from the party internally” to step aside. Internal source revealed that unlike Anwar Ibrahim, “Nurul Izzah is principled on some issues, and was not willing to shift on them.” Her differences in opinion from her father on the party’s direction continued to snowball till it exploded.

The final straw that broke the camel’s back was when narcissist PM Anwar cut direct constituency funding from specific PKR lawmakers such as PKR MPs Wong Chen (Subang),Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya), and Rodziah Ismail (Ampang), who have vocally dissented or aligned themselves with internal party opposition. Anwar only welcomes apple polishers like Ramanan.

The affected MPs complained that their parliamentary service offices were completely denied access to the MyKHAS online portal, an official system used by lawmakers to manage and administer federal constituency allocations. Because Anwar dares not sack them, he cowardly bullies and intimidates them by denying his own PKR MPs their rightful constituency funding.

Anwar pushed back against accusations of starving constituencies. He even argued that federal development allocations are for the people and local communities, not an exclusive entitlement to be disbursed through the offices of elected Members of Parliament (MPs). Yet, he can’t explain why a similar discrimination does not apply to all 30 MPs from Barisan Nasional (BN), who have declared war on Anwar-led PH coalition.

The cowardice is written on the wall when the PM only has the balls to punish a few MPs from his own party. Facing a bigger force from governing partner BN, Anwar is as quiet as a church mouse. When BN chairman Zahid Hamidi challenged the PM to simply sack any minister he is unhappy with after Anwar tried to flex muscles by telling ministers to resign for attacking fellow unity government partners, the Premier responded by keeping silent.

That was not the only issue the “Puteri Reformasi” clashes with her “Fake Reformist” father. Her criticism of Azam Baki, the former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner caught with his pants down in shareholding and corporate mafia scandals has also added to the pressure for her to step aside.

Anwar, who extended Azam’s one-year contract thrice, has repeatedly, fiercely, and suspiciously defended the former anti-graft chief, saying he has shown “extraordinary courage” in going after powerful figures allegedly involved in corruption. Under pressure, a special committee to probe the allegations against Azam was formed by the Anwar administration, but has not made its findings public.

Nurul Izzah had called for the government to expand the scope of investigation on Azam and stressed the need for independent oversight of the anti-graft agency. She saw the actions of her father were inconsistent with the principles she and the party had long championed. But her public comments ultimately hurt Anwar and the party. Her inability to offer the strategy or charisma that Rafizi did makes Nurul practically useless.

Still, it raises a simple question – why did Anwar need to force Rafizi out by pushing his daughter up? Not only PKR is now without a strategist, but Izzah’s resignation further exposes the lack of leadership in PKR’s lineup. Anwar’s push to create a dynasty at a time when his daughter isn’t fit for the job has created “bad blood” with pro-Rafizi’s faction that openly attacks his leadership.

It doesn’t matter whether Nurul really goes for studies or not. She has proven to be an ineffective leader despite her short and unsuccessful stint as PKR deputy president. She should not have allowed herself to be used by daddy to topple Rafizi. It also doesn’t matter whether PKR president Anwar tries to cover up his daughter’s loss of trust in him. The damage is done. PKR is on the right track to a stunning loss in the next national election.

Other Articles That May Interest You …

• Congrats Again Anwar & Ah Loke – Factors For Losing N9
• Loke Thought Zahid Was Friend – Until Zahid Wanted To “Bungkus” Him
• Congrats Anwar & Loke – Continue Your Denial, Delusion, Arrogance To Lose More Elections
• No Good Options – Anwar To Lose Whether Election This Year Or 2027
• Azam’s RM14 Million Scandal – Damage Done, Too Little Too Late
• Bloomberg – How MACC Partners With Corporate Mafia To Seize Control Of Companies
• The Damage Is Done – Relocation Of 131-Year-Old Hindu Temple Fuels Accusations Of Bullying & Special Privileges
• From Zahid To Saifuddin – Corruption In Migrant Worker System
• Corruption Scandal – How Anti-Corruption Chief Azam Baki’s Half-Baked Story Backfires & Implicates Him Even More
• 12 Years’ Jail & RM210 Million Fine For World’s Biggest Crook Najib – A Result Of Insulting The Judge’s Intelligence
• RM90 Million Scandal – Here’s Why Hadi Warned Muslims To Trust Muslim Leaders, Even If They Are Evil & Wicked

Malaysiakini : Meanwhile, according to Reuters, 29 US states have grouped to accuse Meta of designing its platforms in ways that “encourage addictive behaviour, fail to verify users’ ages, encourage adolescents to bypass parental controls, and have inadequate safeguards against harmful content and/or intentionally amplify harmful and exploitative content”, according to the filings at the Court of Appeal in California.

Two weeks ago, a judge in New Mexico, the US, ordered Facebook and Instagram owner Meta to pay US$567 million (RM2.2 billion) and change how its platforms function for young users in the state after finding the company is to blame for harming children’s mental health.

After this latest ruling, judge Bryan Biedscheid said the bulk of the money, US$420 million (RM1.7 billion), will be used for treatment services for young people.

The rest will go towards awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years.

Australia cracks the whip

In Brisbane, Meta, which is facing a Senate inquiry probing the extent of racism against First Nations Australians, said it is "not aware" whether any of its content moderators are Indigenous.

(A content moderator is responsible for responding to posts that violate the company's content policies.)

Australia's Human Rights Commission and Indigenous advocacy groups have previously told the inquiry that online hatred against Indigenous people has increased since the failed 2023 referendum to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

But what was more appalling was that an investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) found that Facebook's parent company, Meta, is directly paying several controversial content creators, including a white nationalist with Neo-Nazi links and a prominent anti-vaxxer.

The ABC NEWS Verify investigation found content produced by these creators appears to be, at times, in direct violation of Facebook's own policies on content monetisation.

Facebook distributed nearly US$3 billion (RM12 billion) to an estimated 16.2 million monetised accounts last year.

ABC quoted the NGO, What To Fix executive director Victoire Rio, as saying that, in effect, Facebook was in a business relationship with these people and organisations.

“If we consider that Meta is in a direct commercial relationship with its publishers, insofar as they're paying them royalties and that they have a monetisation agreement with them, then you could argue that they are liable for the content that gets produced by their business partner in some ways,” she said.

What about Malaysia?

So, what does this have to do with Malaysia and its people, who are separated by thousands of miles of sea?

Questions have to be asked because Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil appears to be mollycoddling Facebook instead of wielding the “kanda” stick.

In May last year, he said the government was considering legal action against Facebook for its “lack of cooperation” in tackling online scams, adding that he would leave it to the MCMC to engage with the social media giant on the matter.

“In my opinion, legal action may have to be taken, but I leave it to the MCMC on this, and give them (Facebook) a last opportunity to prove that they do want to cooperate with the government,” New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Five months later, Fahmi said the government submitted a total of 168,774 content takedown requests to Meta on Facebook, which is 59 percent of all content takedown requests to all social media platforms.

“This number shows that Meta has still failed to fully cooperate in combating cybercrime activities. This has affected the authorities’ efforts to protect the people from the increasing threat of online crime.

“However, Meta has assured that it will increase its efforts and cooperation to ensure that illegal content can be dealt with more effectively,” he said.

On Tuesday, he was at it again, saying that Facebook is responsible for 78 percent of online gambling content identified for removal in Malaysia from January to August.

“Facebook commits ‘most sins’ against Malaysians with online gambling, scams,” and sarcastically noted that there should be an annual award for the social media platform that “commits the most sins” against Malaysians, Malay Mail Online reported.

“So, the perpetrator of the sin, or the party that enables the most scams, is Facebook. We should have an award every year for which platform commits the most sins against the people of Malaysia,” he said.

Authorities must act

So, how long will this charade go on? There are enough clauses in the Communications and Multimedia Commission Act (CMA) to compel compliance, but why aren’t they being used?

What about the moderators? Are they local or someone sitting in one corner of the world deciding what Malaysians should have access to?

What about payments to the rabble-rousers and race baiters? Malaysians have a right to know, and Fahmi is not helping by repeating his mantra in the hope that Meta will comply.

Meta’s courtroom reckoning in the US and Australia is not some distant spectacle - it is a warning shot for Malaysia.

When judges abroad are ordering billion-dollar payouts and exposing how children were deliberately hooked, when inquiries reveal that Meta is paying extremists and racists while disclaiming responsibility, Malaysians should be asking why our own government is still pleading for cooperation instead of enforcing the law.

Fahmi’s repeated laments and sarcastic “award” quips may make headlines, but they do not protect Malaysians from scams, gambling syndicates, racists, or hate speech.

The CMA already provides the teeth to compel compliance. What is missing is the will to bite.

If Meta can be forced to pay for the damage it caused in New Mexico, if it can be dragged before a Senate inquiry in Brisbane, then Malaysia too must stop mollycoddling and start compelling.

Our children, communities, and democracy cannot afford any delay. The time for polite reminders has passed. The time for decisive action is now.

Finance Twitter : There’s nothing wrong with Mamaks. After all, they make the best “teh tarik” and “roti canai” money can buy. However, a Mamak like Abdul Azeez, who disguised as a good Muslim had been scamming the real Malay Muslims for as long as one can remember, until the downfall of the extremely corrupted and racist UMNO party, of which he is the supreme council member.

On Tuesday, Abdul Azeez Rahim and his brother Abdul Latiff Abdul Rahim were arrested and will be brought to court to face charges the following day (Wednesday, Jan 16). Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigators revealed that both the Baling MP and Abdul Latif were arrested in connection with investigations into graft and money-laundering.

Apparently, the Malay Muslim wannabes has been slapped with 12 charges of corruption and money laundering amounting to a staggering RM144.5 million – more than former Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s 45 charges of CBT (criminal breach of trust) and money laundering involving RM114 million.

This is not the first time Abdul Azeez has been arrested though? In May last year, the same month Najib regime stunningly lost power, the anti-corruption agency raided and seized RM500,000 in cash of various currencies from Azeez’s home as part of an investigation into the appointment of contractors for Tabung Haji (Hajj Pilgrims Fund) projects.

In September the same year, Azeez and his brother Latif were arrested after being called in for questioning over allegations of soliciting bribes. After his 10-day MACC remand ended, Azeez’s release saw the arrest of his own son on the same day, also on allegations of corruption and money laundering. It seems the family of Abdul Azeez, like ex-PM Najib Razak, were crooks after all.

Yes, Abdul Azeez was one of the UMNO crooks who tried very hard to be more Malay than the original ethnic Malay and more Muslim than the Arabs in the Middle East. Like Michael Jackson, who had wanted to be transform himself into a white man, this UMNO warlord was fabulously offended when he was called “thambi” (younger brother in Tamil) or “mamak”.

His desire to become a Malay Muslim was so strong that he chose to prove it by mocking and insulting the non-Muslims. He told an opposition Member of Parliament of Chinese ethnicity in 2015 to “balik tongsan” (go back to China). His outburst was both racist and derogatory; although it was hilarious coming from the mouth of someone whose forefathers came from Southern India.

To project his image as a good Muslim, he had done a marvellous job as the champion of the Palestinians, so much so he was appointed honorary ambassador for Palestine in 2012. That was why when his houses were raided by the anti-corruption officers, he conveniently claimed the RM500,000 seized was to finance a mission to Gaza, Palestine.

Unlike the Chinese, however, 52-year-old Abdul Azeez feels deplorable of his roots with regard to ethnicity and ancestry. At least Mahathir Mohamad is open about his ancestry, acknowledging it could be traced to Kerala in India. But if Azeez could even claim to possess a Master in Business Administration degree from the unrecognised Preston University, USA, he has no shame at all.

Under the previous Najib administration, bootlicker Azeez became a director of Tabung Haji (Hajj Pilgrims Fund) in 2011. After his election to Parliament in 2013, he became Tabung Haji’s chairman. It was like inviting the wolf to take good care of the sheep. The crook, together with former CEOs Ismee Ismail and Johan Abdullah, happily plundered the Hajj pilgrims’ money.

According to Singapore “The Sunday Times”, the hard-earned savings fund for Muslims to perform the mandatory hajj pilgrimage should have RM64 billion in assets, but has been found to be short of RM4 billion in deposits in 2016. The Tabung Haji management had also “faked 2017’s accounts to justify its dividend payout” of up to 6.25% just before the May 9 elections.

Interestingly, the pilgrim’s fund was used to bailout 1MDB when it was revealed that Tabung Haji, under the same leadership of Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, had agreed to buy one piece of land in TRX (Tun Razak Exchange) to develop a 40-storey serviced apartment block at a hugely inflated price – RM188.5 million when the one and a half acres land cost only RM4.15 million.

Among the UMNO warlords, Mr. Azeez was on top of the food chain, given tons of government projects and contracts of gigantic size. He was so powerful and greedy that Chief Secretary Ali Hamsa, Treasury Secretary-General Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah and even the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) were in his pocket.

Known as the “King of Mamak Gang” in the previous administration, all the roads and sewerage systems worth above RM100 million practically had his fingerprints. Even UMNO warlords had complained why the procurement of fire trucks and ambulances were awarded to Azeez Rahim on a silver platter. The crook essentially controlled all the secretaries of every government agency.

With access to unlimited funds under the Najib regime, Azeez was the man the former disgraced prime minister would approach to fix problems. As the fixer from the North, the former Tabung Haji chairman SOP would call and offer bribes to close cases – from lucky draws to buy voters to giving hard cold cash to minister to close the infamous 1MDB scandal investigation.

Malaysiakini : Just imagine if another country declared that Sabah belonged to it, that Malaysia's control was illegitimate, and that, if peaceful reunification failed, it reserved the right to use force. The claim to Sabah is hardly new.

Would Malaysia say, "We understand. Territorial integrity is important?"

Of course not. We would call it a threat to Malaysian sovereignty. And that is the mirror Anwar's Taiwan argument creates.

Anwar's declaration that Taiwan is part of China is broadly consistent with Malaysia's established One China policy. The problem came when the discussion moved from who owns Taiwan to whether force can be used to achieve reunification.

Asked whether China should be condemned for reserving the right to use force, Anwar invoked Malaysia. If one of our provinces tried to break away, he said, he would protect the nation's unity.

Would he use force?

"Yes."

That single word is the gaffe.

Malaysia could have said: We recognise the One China policy, but disputes should be resolved peacefully, and Malaysia does not support the use of force.

Instead, Anwar appeared to legitimise force as a means of protecting territorial integrity.

If territorial integrity justifies force, does that principle also apply to Washington and Greenland, Spain and Gibraltar, or even the United Kingdom and Scotland if its people chose independence? Some Malaysian nationalists might even look closer to home, at the red dot down south.

We don't need to settle any of those disputes.

Sovereignty issues

The point is simpler: a principle should survive if being taken out of its original context.

And if that principle makes us uncomfortable when applied elsewhere, perhaps we should be careful about endorsing it in the first place.

This isn't Gaza or Palestine, where Anwar can comment from considerable geographical distance.

China and Taiwan are practically on our doorstep. We have direct strategic, maritime, and economic interests in the same region, and we know what it is like to have a much more powerful country assert claims in waters Malaysia considers its own.

Look at the Luconia Shoals, or Beting Patinggi Ali, off Sarawak.

Malaysia has maintained a presence there amid continuing Chinese activity.

We protest. We invoke sovereignty. We want international law respected, and rightly so.

Then there is Sabah. The Philippines continues to assert a claim over Sabah, while Malaysia insists that Sabah's position within the federation is final.

So imagine Manila saying: "Sabah historically belongs to us. Malaysia's control is illegitimate. Peaceful efforts have failed. Therefore, we reserve the right to use force."

Would Malaysia accept that? Of course not.

We would demand that the international community respect Malaysian sovereignty.

Human rights credentials

Anwar's human rights credentials inevitably enter the discussion.

Taiwan's government has pushed back by asking him to consider democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law and, most importantly, the wishes of the Taiwanese people.

That raises an uncomfortable question. How much weight should the wishes of the people living in a disputed territory carry?

Territorial integrity is one principle, self-determination is another. And when those principles collide, simply declaring that territorial integrity wins, and that force may therefore be justified, doesn't make the underlying problem disappear.

It merely decides which principle gets priority.

Taiwan is also not merely a geopolitical abstraction. It is a major trading partner, particularly in electrical and electronic goods. Taipei has now warned that Anwar's remarks could undermine Taiwanese business confidence in Malaysia.

Malaysia needs China. Malaysia needs Taiwan. Malaysia needs the United States.

We do not need to turn pragmatic diplomacy into a choice of friends and enemies.

Anwar says he is "soft with all my neighbours".

Fine.

But being friendly with China is diplomacy. Appearing to endorse military force is something else.

Engagement, not confrontation

This is perhaps the question Anwar should have considered before answering "Yes".

If Malaysia were ever confronted with a serious threat to Sabah, Sarawak, or our maritime territory, what would we want from the international community?

Would we want other countries saying: "The other side believes the territory is historically theirs, and territorial integrity gives them the right to use force."

Or would we want them to say: "This is Malaysian territory. Whatever the dispute, it must not be changed by force."

We know which answer Putrajaya would want. So, Malaysia can support One China. It can maintain close relations with Beijing. It can pursue engagement rather than confrontation.

But it should be very careful about normalising a principle that could one day be turned against Malaysia itself.

Sovereignty is a wonderful thing, especially when it is your own. And that is why Anwar might have been wiser to leave this particular hornet's nest alone.

Malaysiakini : “If you don’t like it, turn off the TV,” she jibed.

Anwar seems to be behaving like a certain German leader during the final days of World War 2. 

As Russian troops were closing in on his Berlin bunker, he was busy moving imaginary armies around the map, thinking he could still win. 

Saudara Anwar should wake up. Please stop worrying about which political donors, groups of civil servants, or other powerful interests will get “offended” by real reforms. 

Stop being a politician and become a statesman instead. It’s his last chance in his last year of power.

Anti-corruption farce

His biggest promise was to crack down on corruption. Yet a Malaysian pilot could carry 26kg of drugs through KLIA and somehow the security people “didn’t see” it.

The drug case proves Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing was right.

He did a spot check at KLIA after tourists complained they were being extorted by rogue immigration officials in June 2023. He said there was a chronic “culture of corruption” there. 

Ten tourism and retail associations lauded Tiong for going on the ground to obtain first-hand information on the problems facing tourists at KLIA.

But Umno rabble-rouser Dr Akmal Saleh slammed Tiong, saying he had no right to enter KLIA and reveal alleged wrongdoings. 

“You should remember, you are a minister, not a bak kut teh seller”, chided Akmal. 

He added that Tiong should be stripped of his Malaysian citizenship. This was a full display of the entrenched, privileged deep state in action.

Anwar responded with a so-called “surprise visit” to KLIA and pronounced that only “a small group” are responsible for problems.

Meanwhile, a supermarket in Teluk Intan, Perak, had to close down for one day of ritual Islamic cleansing after a clueless lady from China brought her small dog in on a trolley.

Should allegedly tainted government departments also undergo purification - by the MACC?

Some sign of a spine growing was the release of the Tabung Haji royal commission report, but this happened only after Umno backstabbed Anwar in two recent state elections.

So here are more reforms for Harapan’s final kamikaze mission.

1) Local council elections

This is what affects urban dwellers’ everyday lives - be it garbage collection, potholes, the butchering of trees, or the killing of stray dogs.

But racial politicians have been screaming that this will give power to non-Malays, even though many cities now have Malay majorities. Not just Alor Setar, Kuantan, Shah Alam, and Kota Bharu, but also Kuala Lumpur.

In February 2024, Nga Kor Ming, the housing and local government minister, gave another excuse - he was instead focusing on potholes plus cleaner public toilets and drains!

The truth is, all politicians want to keep control over rich cities, with lucrative planning permissions and contracts. But now that Harapan looks set to lose, please forget about such narrow interests.

2) Reduce soaring medical insurance costs

This is the biggest concern of middle-class urban Harapan supporters. 

Control the profits of private hospitals and insurance companies, or create a good, affordable Madani health insurance.

Call it Anwar-care if you like.

3) Allow refugees to work

Imagine hiring a maid without having to pay RM20,000 to crony agents to import them from overseas. Apart from families, small businesses will also rejoice.

Refugees are already in this country, so why not allow them to work? The current system forces them into semi-legal sources of income and creates social backlash.

This is a no-brainer to win votes - unless Anwar and his shady human resources minister are too busy protecting dubious foreign worker cartels.

4) Reform elections

Redraw boundaries to create more mixed-race seats to reduce toxic racial politics. Politicians must then appeal to all races.

This can be done with a simple majority in Parliament as long as the number of seats is not increased.

Johor Amanah deputy chief had also pointed out that it’s unfair that urban votes are much less valuable compared to votes in smaller rural seats.

To further reduce racial politicking, state seats can also be added in Penang and Selangor. 

Prof Wong Chin Huat explained that these extra assemblypersons can be chosen by “proportional representation”, ie: the proportion of votes received.

Extra assemblypersons were recently appointed in Johor (May 2026) and Malacca (July 2026). But they were not elected democratically.

Instead, they were appointed by the winning party to tighten political control. Harapan can and must show a better way forward.

Malay fears can be addressed, as even smaller parties like Pejuang and soon Bersatu and Amanah can survive in this PR system. 

Idealistic parties like Bersama, Muda, and PSM may also get seats if they obtain a certain percentage of ballots. 

Thus, people can vote for policies they believe in, rather than fearing they will “waste their votes”.

This creates healthier politics, rather than the juvenile fearmongering of “you must vote for us, or the Big Bad Wolf will get you”.

5) Fight corruption quickly

One of our open secrets is that some officials are clearly living beyond their means. 

If Anwar is sincere about cracking down on corruption, he must pass a UWL or “Unexplained Wealth Law”.

So if a civil servant earning RM7,000 monthly has three bungalows and five luxury cars, they can be quickly seized if he can’t explain how he could afford them.

There’s no need for court cases dragging on for years.

Other reforms to consider

• Ban political interference in government-linked bodies; learn from Tabung Haji.

• Pass a Racial Harmony law to stop the endless poisonous politicking.

• Set up a National Ombudsman to resolve complaints against civil servants.

• Allow electric tuk-tuks to provide jobs and cheap transport.

• Recognise the Unified Examination Certificate as Penang, Selangor, Sabah, and Sarawak already do.

• Free the MACC and public prosecutor from political control.

• Ensure fair, equal funding even for opposition MPs. Harapan will soon need this! 

• The Iran war shows we can no longer afford blanket subsidies. Aid should be given based on need, not to subsidise petrol for luxury cars.

Conclusion

Since Harapan will probably lose power in Putrajaya, it’s time to throw away narrow political calculations and do what’s right - at long last!

Harapan will then have some bullets, some good record to regain power after greedy Umno and incompetent PAS screw up, get into new scandals, or fight each other.

Who knows, if they can show voters what a great job they can do, Harapan may even score a last-minute goal and pull off an injury-time victory.

Malaysiakini : Shamsul (above, right), after all, was going over his familiar stomping grounds of the demonisation of liberalism, the systematic failure of the bureaucracy and the embedded racialisation of our political system.

I don’t want to talk about free speech or the inequalities of treatment between Malays and non-Malays when it comes to these kinds of issues. Lawyer Siti Kasim, fabulous in her outspokenness, rightly points out the disparity of treatment between Shamsul and Kong.

Shamsul, the perfect old-school gentleman who talked about this on his podcast, described how he rushed to the scene of this “young man” who was having trouble getting assistance from his lawyer Siti in what they knew was an unequal playing field. This is what it means to be Malaysian, or rather, a specific kind of Malaysian.

This fascist farce is about narratives the establishment wants to keep hidden, or rather threatens citizens to keep hidden. Shamsul was describing his perspective of what it means to be Malay in this country.

The irony here is that for Malays like Shamsul, there are no political parties that represent them. There are political bromides and political personalities who pay lip service to the principles and views expressed by Shamsul and others, but their narratives are banished to the political wilderness.

Demonising act

This is what the extreme right-wing forces all over the world do. Donald Trump supporters, for instance, demonise liberals; Zionists demonise Jews who do not support a theocratic or genocidal state, and here in Malaysia, Malays who do not conform to the first principles of religious superiority are demonised.

All this is done to keep elites in power and the masses continuously fighting each other for overlords who detested them.

The state wants to demonise folks like Shamsul but has never had a problem with someone like author and history activist Helmi Effendy, who advocated for the killing of Malay traitors back in the day.

What Helmi said, when you really think about it, is not something which is anathema when it comes to the mainstream political discourse in this country.

Malay political operatives are always accusing each other of being race traitors. Malay political operatives are always claiming that the Malay polity will lose its power to non-Malays. What Helmi wrote is merely taking this position to its logical extreme. Honestly, people have either overtly or subtly implied what Helmi said in social media outlets.

Worse of all, political operatives who claim to champion “universal religious values” of inclusivity throw those ideas under the bus when in power.

This is what the Selangor state administration said last year as reported in the press: “The Selangor government will continue its efforts to monitor, detect, and enforce laws against any individual involved in promoting religious liberalism and pluralism, to safeguard the sanctity of Islam in the state.”

This is what Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in 2022: “In my speech (in Jakarta), I said there are certain issues that I might not necessarily share, but on core issues of Islam, modernity, inclusivity, we are on the same page.

“How do you compare this to Malaysia? I think Malaysia lacks that sort of tolerance. Here, they just say ‘we disagree with you because you are a liberal’, ‘you are a plural’… I don’t think they have a clear understanding of what they are talking about.”

Connective tissues

First off, we were a progressive secular democracy before the ethno-nationalists used race and religion to turn this country into a “moderate” Islamic state.

Those nascent values of secularism and egalitarianism, which meant something to nation-building, were ditched by the ethno-nationalists to create political and religious hegemony. Shamsul and Malays like him detract from hegemonic narratives of Malay unity.

What these race and religion-based parties have done over the years is chip away at the secular foundations of this country, enabled by non-Malay power brokers for self-serving interests.

By their very definition, race and religion-based parties are anathemas to the Constitution, which is broadly progressive, secular and democratic. This is what Malays like Shamsul are fighting against.

Indeed, just look at the Rukun Negara to understand why race and religion-based parties are anathemas to every point in the Rukun Negara. Shamsul rightly points out that the Rukun Negara seems to have been kicked to the curb by the religious and racial supremacists but also by so-called reformers.

The connective tissues between the racial and religious agendas of successive Malaysian governments that desire a narcotised majority and a disenchanted, aggrieved minority have everything to do with the gerrymandering and unequal weighting of votes.

How can we have a progressive majority when every institution and every political operative confirms that the majority in this country have to subscribe to a certain mode of thinking and support a certain kind of Muslim leader?

Now you understand why Malays like Shamsul or those advocating any kind of deviation from fascistic group are demonised.

More’s the pity that a young man whose quote opens this piece finds no traction with the aggrieved polity in this country.

Malaysiakini : I depended heavily on these two main commodities at that time, and I must say I grew rich.

But this was not enough. The leaders who stood guard over me knew that we must diversify our economy. And so began the expansion into agriculture and industrial manufacturing.

All these developments were spread over the 1960s to 70s, and indeed the future looked promising.

Then came an historic event when I expanded my borders to incorporate my fellow brothers, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore in 1963. I took on a new personality and a new name called Malaysia. All this was made possible under the umbrella of the now much-disputed Malaysia Agreement.

To make it a joyous occasion, I also celebrate Malaysia Day to mark the joining of the two eastern brothers with my peninsular self.

Unfortunately, Singapore left us to chart its own destiny. Critics predicted the island nation would perish after partition. It didn't happen. On the contrary, it flourished.

Just as I was about to get into a good mood, a tragedy overtook me. That was in May 1969. I won't dwell on that tragic passage of history. Suffice to say, it grieved me to receive so many souls into my earth.

Things began to look up over the years, and from the 1980s onwards I moved on from a mainly agriculture-based economy into heavy industries, electronics exports, petroleum production, and the services industry.

Now I have moved further into the technology sector, investing in all these mind-boggling things called data centres, 5G rollouts, and artificial intelligence.

Turning national pride into political dismay

But hold it! After 69 years of living free from the yoke of colonialism, including fighting off all those pesky commies during those emergency days, I should be rejoicing over the great achievements made over the decades. Right? Not really.

These days I hear ominous noises emanating mostly from people who call themselves politicians. They are giving me a lot of headaches.

This breed of people “runs for office, wins elections, joins the government, and helps make laws for the public”. If only they stick to their duties. What got me all riled up is the way they behave and think subsequently. They didn’t live up to the high standards expected of the representatives of the people.

I hear so many disturbing reports about the many bad things they do, which give me a bad name. You can say these people are “experts at doing what is bad but failures at doing what is good”.

One man in particular, in whom the public had placed their trust and elected him to the highest office on land, came to grief because he chose a crooked path. He’s now languishing in prison. Serves him right!

After many changes of the guard, one would expect life today to be better because we are “masters of our destiny”. It didn’t actually turn out that way. Instead, I hear shrill voices making all sorts of provocative remarks that make the bowels of my earth churn.

Many times they vented their spleen openly whenever it suited them. They stepped on me in the hundreds as they tramped down the streets yelling slogans and waving flags to display their political identity.

I distinctly hear them being classified as bigots, rightists, extremists, village champions, supremacists, diehard conservatives, boycott specialists, to name a few.

All their hate speeches, political rhetoric, and grandstanding make me sick to the bone. Don’t they realise how dangerous all this can be? Their irrational conduct is pushing me to the brink.

As far as I am concerned, I will stick a common label on all their foreheads and call them all “plain troublemakers”. Sometimes, I feel like opening up my earth and swallowing them all to keep the peace.

Lamenting rising racial rhetoric and division

Take, for example, one man who is the boss of one state who has been creating waves with his inflammatory remarks.

I was outraged when he dared to say my vast land is the only home of the dominant race. He’s insinuating that all the others can always pack up their bags and return to their ancestral homeland.

This firebrand even brazenly claimed that a piece of my land belongs to his state and he’s going to court to take back the “Pearl of the Orient”. What nonsense! I will state categorically that my land is all of one piece and no one can tear a piece of me to become part of another state.

Stop it! All you troublemakers! I, Malaysia, am the home to all races and faiths, and no one can claim exclusive rights to me.

Well before independence, I have welcomed warmly many migrants who have made me their homeland. They laboured to extract raw materials from my earth, tapped my barks, tilled my soil; in short, all of them have made me what I am today.

As I see it, my future is becoming increasingly uncertain as I see no end to this constant flow of diatribe which can only do more harm than good. I don’t understand why all these rabble-rousers want to ruin my beautiful land that has been in existence since time immemorial.

Soon I will hear the thudding of hundreds of feet on me as my fellow citizens march to mark my independence. It should be a day full of meaning and unity, but beneath the surface I can only watch with trepidation as I, Malaysia, shudder to think what lies ahead amidst all these unhealthy developments.

Tunku wanted me to be a “beacon of light in a disturbed and distracted world” but, sadly now, I am becoming more disturbed and distracted by all these domestic troubles. The light is becoming dimmer with each passing year.

Malaysiakini : Former Tabung Haji chairperson Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim has said he was in a non-executive role and didn't know what was happening at the working level.

Nobody expects a chairperson to know everything; but surely he should know enough to ask questions, challenge management, scrutinise the numbers and ask difficult questions like: "Are we sure?" "Can we afford this?"

A chairperson is not expected to run the organisation; but he is expected to ensure that important things do not go unquestioned.

So, the question remains: What did the chairperson know? What did he do with what he knew?

Umno secretary-general Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has also denied involvement in Tabung Haji's decisions during his time as deputy minister.

Asyraf said he attended the 2017 signing ceremony with Al-Rawda Real Estate Development and Project Management Co Ltd because he was representing the minister as Malaysia's Chief of the Haj delegation.

We're not saying Asyraf was responsible for the investment, but Al-Rawda eventually resulted in a RM1.86 billion impairment, making it the largest loss among Tabung Haji's 14 problematic investments.

The Finance Ministry said there was no bank guarantee, the due diligence was incomplete and the transaction proceeded on a promissory note.

So, someone approved it, assessed the risks and decided it was acceptable. Who? That is the question.

The Finance Ministry also said 14 problematic Tabung Haji investments resulted in almost RM13 billion in losses.

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READ MORE: RCI: Governance failures, politics, 'creative accounting' led to Tabung Haji's financial crisis

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These are not small accounting errors. Yet we repeatedly hear: I didn't know. I wasn't involved. I had no authority. It was management.

How does an institution entrusted with billions of ringgit approve a transaction of this scale without adequate due diligence or a bank guarantee, and who was responsible for saying, "Stop. This isn't safe"?

Who was watching?

Meanwhile, former auditor-general Madinah Mohamad says she turned up to give evidence to the RCI, waited over 30 minutes, and was never called.

Her office had audited Tabung Haji and flagged two matters in its 2017 clean audit opinion.

So, we have to ask: If the chairperson didn't know, the deputy minister had no authority, and the auditor-general wasn't heard, who exactly was watching the shop?

At the time, the finance minister was Najib Abdul Razak.

However, the RCI did not establish which minister personally approved the individual payments, and Najib, former second finance ministers Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Johari Abdul Ghani were not interviewed by the commission.

So again: Who approved them? That question deserves an answer.

Repeated governance failures

We have seen variations of this story with Felda, Malaysia Airlines and other government-linked institutions.

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ALSO READ: KINIGUIDE | FGV delisting: End of Felda's 'experiment'

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The commonalities are: Political appointments. Questionable decisions. Huge losses. Investigations. Reports. Royal commissions of inquiry.

This is how responsibility somehow becomes elusive. Impunity grows because when nobody is held accountable, the next person has little reason to fear getting it wrong. Eventually, the taxpayer pays.

The Tabung Haji RCI report was withheld for years after its findings were completed. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said earlier disclosure could have caused panic and prompted depositors to withdraw their money.

We understand the concern, but surely there is an irony here: If transparency is too dangerous because people might lose confidence, what does that say about the confidence in the first place?

And delay has consequences.

An inquiry is supposed to establish what happened while the evidence is still fresh. Instead, Malaysians were left waiting years after the RCI completed its work. A royal commission should not become a time capsule.

And now, in 2026, we are asking questions about events that happened almost a decade ago.

Justice delayed

That matters, because justice delayed isn't simply justice postponed. Evidence deteriorates. Witnesses disappear. Memories change. People die.

And the longer we wait, the easier it becomes for responsibility to disappear into the cracks. Delay can make accountability harder, not easier.

Former minister Rafizi Ramli alleged the report was delayed for political reasons to avoid upsetting Umno. That remains an allegation, not an established fact.

Regardless of the reason, why did Malaysians have to wait so long?

Now the government has the opportunity to do what should have happened from the beginning: Follow the money. Find who approved the decisions. Find who knew. Find who failed to act.

And if the evidence shows wrongdoing, prosecute. No political protection. No special treatment. No "not me".

If the evidence leads to Umno, investigate the party. If it leads to Pakatan Harapan, investigate the coalition. If it leads elsewhere, follow it there.

Nobody should be above the law.

Tabung Haji is not simply another government-linked institution. Millions entrusted their savings to it, to help them fulfil a deeply important religious obligation. They deserve better than a merry-go-round of explanations.

RM13 billion is too much money to disappear into a fog of "I didn't know".

Prime minister, this is your opportunity. Don't just tell Malaysians that accountability matters. Show them.

Give Truth-and-Accountability a seat at the table, and this time, don't let her leave hungry.

Malaysiakini : Defending the delay, Anwar said the government did not release the report earlier because doing so at the time could have triggered a crisis of confidence that might have led to the institution’s collapse.

But for former economy minister Rafizi Ramli, this was unacceptable. He accused Anwar of delaying the release to keep Umno onside, alleging that the findings would expose the party’s failed stewardship of the pilgrimage fund.

Others questioned the timing of the release close to the Negeri Sembilan state election, leading some to suggest that the entire exercise was politically motivated.

Some of the shenanigans are in the public domain. In November 2023, Nor Badli Munawir Alias Lafti, former CEO of Tabung Haji unit TH Heavy Engineering Bhd, was sentenced to five years’ jail for criminal breach of trust and money laundering amounting to RM1.57 million and RM1.1 million, respectively. He was charged more than nine years ago, in January 2017.

This was not the only bad news. There were also questions asked when Tabung Haji bought into TH Heavy Engineering, which was known as Ramunia Holdings Bhd, in 2012. It bought shares in the open market and took control of the company before running it to the ground.

The company fell into the cash-strapped Practice Note 17 category not once but twice. It was disposed of to Minister of Finance Inc-controlled Urusharta Jamaah Sdn Bhd and eventually delisted.

Urusharta Jamaah acquired Tabung Haji’s non-performing assets at end-2018, paying RM19.9 billion - a hefty premium of RM9.9 billion - for assets worth RM10 billion. The assets included stakes in 106 listed companies; one unlisted plantation counter; 29 properties, including four hotels; and a plot of land at TRX.

Was MACC aware of the findings?

If releasing the RCI report earlier risked destabilising Tabung Haji, couldn’t the report - or relevant excerpts - be quietly handed to the MACC and other enforcement agencies so that those responsible could be investigated?

They were, if former Tabung Haji chairperson Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim is to be believed. The Star quoted him as saying that in 2021, then-MACC chief Azam Baki issued an official letter stating no abuse of power or misappropriation had been found.

“I was already cleared by the then-MACC chief commissioner in 2021. If the media wants to see proof, I can share the official letter which was given to me,” he said.

Azeez also said he spoke to the police two weeks ago, and claimed he was told the case file had been completed and was only awaiting a “no further action” directive.

So, did MACC read the report? On what basis were its investigations conducted and why did it choose to exonerate Azeez?

But Azam is a man whom Anwar last May described as having shown “extraordinary courage” in tackling high-level corruption.

“I believe, having observed the MACC over the decades, this is the first time they have dared to raid all the big bosses.

The MACC’s efforts, he said, will extend to high-profile individuals with honorific titles, and this requires political will and public support to maintain momentum.

So, is it reasonable to assume that the political will and public support arrived only last week, at the tail-end of an election campaign?

Reports must lead to action

Delays, excuses, and political calculations cannot be allowed to bury the truth. Every report - whether from an RCI, the auditor-general or MACC - must trigger action. It must be investigated and, where warranted, enforced without fear or favour.

Otherwise, these reports become little more than expensive paperwork: shielding the guilty while eroding public trust.

The Tabung Haji saga shows how withholding findings in the name of “stability” can breed impunity. For over three years, those implicated were free to go about their lives while depositors were kept in the dark.

Justice delayed is justice denied. If enforcement agencies could clear individuals without even reviewing the RCI’s findings, then the system itself is complicit.

Selective accountability, timed for political convenience, is no way to fight corruption. Reports must trigger investigations when they are produced, not be pulled off the shelf when political circumstances become convenient.

The public deserves answers, not excuses. Until every investigative report is treated as a call to action, corruption will remain a recurring headline rather than a resolved crime - and creative accounting will continue to find creative ways to flourish.