APRIL 12 ― There’s an old wives’ tale about the boiled frog. That a frog would get used to water that is slowly boiled and die without trying to escape. It isn’t true but it illustrates how people can slowly get used to changes without realising it.
This holds true in some parts of Malaysia, especially politicians who tell us to stick to the status quo and warn us of chaos if there is change, just like what caretaker Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman cautioned Malaysians last night against voting for the opposition in Election 2013.
“Don’t try to experiment,” Musa told a thousand-strong cheering crowd at the launch of the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery in Penampang, Sabah.
“What can you hope for in the opposition? They talk about bad things, create trouble, chaos, Bersih 1, Bersih 2, for what?” he added.
It is no surprise that Musa would say all that, especially since the opposition and activists have been after him over several corruption cases.
He was linked to businessman Michael Chia, who was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport and charged with money laundering after attempting to smuggle S$16 million (RM40 million) back to Malaysia in 2008.
It was reported that Chia had at the time allegedly told Hong Kong authorities that the money belonged to Musa.
The Sarawak Report news portal also revealed documents allegedly from Hong Kong’s anti-graft agency, the ICAC, showing a Sabah lawyer was holding some US$30 million (RM93 million) in a Swiss bank account for Musa.
Earlier this month, the Reuters news agency reported that a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) document showed Musa consistently signed off on concessions that exceeded, or even doubled, the allowable timber cut. While not illegal, it shows the state was exceeding its own guidelines on deforestation.
Some of the companies on that list made payments into a UBS corporate account belonging to a former Musa associate, bank statements on the account obtained by Reuters shows. From the same account, withdrawals were made by the associate to fund Musa’s sons who were studying in Australia, according to the statements.
Then there is the case of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud who has thumbed his nose to the MACC, calling them “naughty” and “dishonest” for investigating him over a Global Witness video clip that alleged graft in the state’s timber industry.
Have we gotten so used to these cases that they do not even raise eyebrows anymore? Are we inured to such excesses that we listen still to these same politicians when they predict chaos if there are changes?
Fact is, what is more dangerous than Malaysians not exercising their right to vote is Malaysians not reacting to endemic and wanton corruption as well as excesses in system. Remember that, the next time a politician talks about keeping the status quo rather than moving towards a better Malaysia.
It is a silly thing to help errant politicians to get rich!
Comes each general Election, These Crooks start sing song Again and To Hoodwink again, again,,,
Just A B U ! on May 5 th. !
Wonder why Malaysians are so forgiving, so amnesic. maybe, even so stupid over the last 56 years. With RM500, he can be bought over a screwed up government and start complaining soon after. Need I go through the lot list of things ? But then again, u reap what u sow. Maybe, even deserves being trampled upon, again and again. ABU ABU….
If they still don’t get it let tell them again.
We want change from corrupt to clean government,
We want change from abuse of power to democratic,
We want change simply BN can not change as simple as that.
Don’t worry, Musa is going to be the the frog soon .. Maybe should included Mamak Kutty the traitor…..
The scums in UMNO/BN has plenty of shit on themselves.
I have said before and I’m repeating it now!
As far as the opposition is concerned, the factual materials regarding the corruption, scams and scandals of the ruling party is a propagandist’s paradise!!!!
Even Joseph Goebbels, the high-priest of Hitler’s propaganda machine couldn’t wish for more!!!
Why not use the materials against those scums??
Start with ONE school , national school , national language for every Malaysian
chengho, why don’t you tell BN to do it, afterall they are the one that started the current mess.
well said, so ONE university system, no more MARA this MARA that, inst tech, university, training schemes, loan schemes etc
no more matriculation course etc, no more house price discount, no more bumi quota this quota that, etc etc, how about that??
Yes, I know! When BN is ousted it will come out with a last- ditch money-making idea – books entitled, “How To Be Corrupt”, “How To Divide And Rule”, “How To Enrich Cronies”, How To Forget The Letter And The Spirit of Merdeka”,… . The last in the how series would be “How The Hell We Ruled For So Many Years Without Uniting the Nation”.