A Grave Miscalculation
Because Tok Guru Hadi is saying something that many Malay Muslims and even Bumis believe. It is as I say, the perception of the majority of us for decades. And many view those who made the police report as trying to protect the givers in corruption cases.
A friend asked me to comment about this issue regarding Tok Guru Hadi’s statement. His statement that had become the point of contention and currently under police investigation is from this article below. In it he said thus;
“Begitulah juga dengan usaha menangani penyakit rasuah, ia wajib dilakukan secara holistik supaya tidak menjadi wabak apabila diambil tindakan yang tidak menyeluruh sehingga ke akar umbinya. Khususnya, terhadap mereka yang menjadi punca rasuah kerana mengejar harta secara haram.
Sehinggakan, dalam kalangan mereka itulah yang menguasai ekonomi negara lalu menggunakannya bagi merosakkan politik, urusan pentadbiran dan kehakiman. Malah, mereka juga golongan yang paling besar merosakkan politik dan ekonomi negara, majoritinya daripada kalangan bukan Islam dan bukan bumiputera.”
The last sentence was the main issue that caused the police report against Tok Guru Hadi.
I am a PAS supporter. I am also a Muslim, and Malay. And my wife is a Bumiputera, a Sabahan. Thus the general rule is whatever I say will be viewed as biased. I accept that.
But to satisfy my friend’s question, I will say this. Tok Guru is expressing something that has been the perception of the majority of my people and bumis for decades. His article is basically saying – to eradicate corruption, we must take action not only on those who received it, but also the giver as well. And it is unfortunate, that most of the givers are usually perceived to be coming from the Chinese community, just as the recipients are viewed usually as Malay Muslims and Bumis.
In the Lingam RCI last time, among those investigated and implicated was Tan Sri Vincent Tan, besides Mahathir. But no one knows what happened to the investigation towards them both after the RCI was over. Only Lingam was barred from ever being a lawyer till today, while the judges implicated in it have to carry the shame forever because of their involvement. Some say Pak Lah’s resignation because of Mahathir’s political move via his supporters in UMNO (Mahathir quit UMNO then to fight against Pak Lah), have ensured that matter is closed forever.
In the recent Najib’s case, Jho Low has not been caught and charged till today. From PH’s time holding federal power, it was revealed that the government contacted him, but failed to bring him home, till now under PN-BN government.
In fact in the current Lim Guan Eng trial, we see a similar pattern where the alleged givers (one being a Malay) are seen to be given just a slap on the wrist, while Lim Guan Eng who is accused of receiving those bribes is facing the full brunt of the law, just as Najib was in his case.
And I haven’t touched upon those smaller cases which are aplenty in the lower courts. Most are the same story, whereby the alleged recipients the majority of whom are Malay Muslims and Bumis, faced the full disgrace of being charged by the law while the alleged givers, are usually not. And because the majority of the givers are from the upper middle class and above, the majority of whom are non-Malays, non-Muslim, non-Bumis, the perception gets stronger. However every year, I see more and more of the givers are Malay Muslim and Bumis themselves, just as I see more and more Chinese becoming the takers.
It is a perception that is common because of the history of the cases involving corruption that has transpired till today. Yes, corruption is blind to race religion etc. but the perception will always be there until, as Tok Guru Hadi himself said in his article, we start to take serious action against the givers too. Until that is being done, the perception will continue to live.
As to the political repercussions of this issue, I would say that PAS will get stronger, just as UMNO is now with Najib’s incarceration. Because Tok Guru Hadi is saying something that many Malay Muslims and even Bumis believe. It is as I say, the perception of the majority of us for decades. And many view those who made the police report as trying to protect the givers in corruption cases. They do not view it as a racist issue like those who lodged the report, but view those lodging those reports against Tok Guru Hadi as attempts to continue the status quo. That the takers must always get the full brunt of the law, while the givers are not. That is the perception borne out now because of these reports.
Thus, if the police reports were politically motivated, as many believe it was, as it is, it is a grave miscalculation. It only helps make what Tun Daim predicted a few months back to become a reality, and that is PAS may win bigger in the next GE15 than the winnings PAS made in GE14.
Insyaallah, may it become a reality. Amin.
