Crying national shame that while the world is trying to get to the bottom of the heinous global 1MDB scandal, there are still Malaysian leaders trying to keep the veil on the 1MDB scandal and prevent open scrutiny of the scandal
It is a crying national shame that while the world is trying to get to the bottom of the heinous global 1MDB scandal, described by United States Attorney-General Jeff Sessions as “kleptocracy at is worst”, there are still Malaysian leaders trying to keep the veil on the 1MDB scandal and prevent an open scrutiny of the scandal.
Last week, it was reported that Germany’s Deutsche Bank was being investigated by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) for its work with 1Malaysia Development Bhd, including helping the state investor raise US$1.2 billion (RM4.95 billion) in 2014.
The probe into Deutsche Bank’s alleged corruption and money-laundering in connection with the 1MDB scandal is being assisted by former Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner, who last year pleaded guilty for his role in the massive scandal.
Deutsche Bank, in a statement, has said it “cooperated fully” in the 1MDB enquiries, and highlighted asset forfeiture documents filed earlier by DoJ that showed the Malaysian firm had misled the bank.
Deutsche Bank is the latest international bank to be dragged into the 1MDB scandal – the others being Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which now faces criminal charges and demands of billions in damages. The 143-year-old BSI, one of the oldest in Switzerland, has been closed. Falcon Bank and its former Swiss CEO is under criminal investigation and numerous others have been fined and censured.
But in Malaysia, there are still leaders who are fighting every inch of the way to maintain the veil of secrecy over the 1MDB scandal, playing to the discredited script of the former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak until he was ignominiously ousted from power on May 9, 2018.
One such example was the attempt last week by the Barisan Nasional, through their MCA Member of Parliament, to prevent any discussion of the 1MDB scandal in Parliament.
Even more shocking, the global 1MDB scandal has not prevented the appointment of the 1MDB global kleptocrat Najib as Barisan Nasional adviser, which has created quite a ruckus in UMNO itself but not in MCA or MIC.
According to Nazri Aziz and Khairy Jamalauddin, Najib had wanted to be the Barisan Nasional Chairman but he was shunted off to the post of BN adviser by the UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi without consultation with other BN leaders.
It is odd that the two former UMNO Ministers objected to Najib’s appointment as Barisan Nasional adviser while MCA which had less than a year ago threatened to “kick out” UMNO from the Barisan Nasional if it “coddles” with PAS leaders to form an unholy pact in post-14th General Elections, now supports both kleptocracy and theocracy.
Since his appointment as BN adviser last Tuesday, Najib had eclipsed the UMNO, MCA and MIC Presidents put together in his visits to various parts of the country and any visitor from Mars would say that the leader of Barisan Nasional is Najib and nobody else.
I have no objection to this phenomenon, for it is the recipe for electoral catastrophe, as it is based on the fallacy that Malaysians are fervent supporters of the toxic combination of kleptocracy and a theocracy in which lies are permissible and corruption is no sin – as the greatest supporter of Najib is none other than the PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang.