Is Malaysia sinking sick? – J.D. Lovrenciear

Which nation in the region is going thorough what Malaysia is experiencing if you take inventory of the overdrive breaking news on sex, murder and money trail exposes?

There is none, but Malaysia.

And since the last two general elections, the country has not been spared titillating expose after expose of sex, murder and money trails.

Indeed, Malaysia is sinking in the eyes of the world community and it is most embarrassing for Malaysians to be even in the company of friends and associates from neighbouring Asean member nations.

What more when you have to put up with the fact that already Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand are staring at Malaysia’s fast sinking ringgit.

And mind you, 2015 is also the year where Malaysia is taking over the chairmanship of the Asean Economic community. My, my! What a way to take the stage when sex, murder and money trails go balistic.

Who is bringing so much of disrepute to this nation that was the economic, social and political marvel in the eyes of both developing and developed nations once upon a time?

Or are we facing all these despicable exposes because for far too long the Official Secrets Act and the Internal Security Act plus a iron-hand hold on the country kept all the mess under wraps? Your guess is as good any fool's.

Today our national reputation and dignity is being raped by our own politicians. Our freedom to bring about positive change is being punished by the law enforcers. Our democratic responsibility to enquire about the sex, murder and money trails is sinking real fast.

You read about reports of how the rich and high society citizens are stashing away billions in the Swiss vault. You only hear and nothing happens after that.

You read about how a former chief minister went on a buying spree overseas and has now rented one of his family’s possessions even to the FBI in Seattle, USA. Nobody bothers after all.

You get exclusive, investigative exposes even in reputed foreign newspapers about diamonds, pearls and rubies being bought up by a Malaysian individual, not to mention about that young whiz-kid's "appetite for New York". But a blanket of silence follows suit.

And who does not know about this "Mongolian murder" in Malaysia? Expose after expose, intrigue, extensive global media coverage. And we are still not sure what is going to be the next episode.

Name one country in the world in human history that nailed its political opponent with Sodomy I and then released him – showcasing to the curious world a democratic and independent judiciary of Malaysia.

Then the country back tracked and came up with Sodomy II. Although the entire world disagreed and condemned the outcome of this trial, we continue with public expose after expose that would make pornography seem like a mere fairy tale.

Name a country in the world that could have got away with billions of ringgit of purported national investment involving shady locations to stash money and still not account beyond any reasonable doubt for the losses and borrowings.

Malaysia is indeed sinking in the eyes of the world community of leaders and citizens. Worse, citizens here already feel so shy and helpless as their young ask puzzling questions after watching news on TV or getting a Facebook update from pen-pals.

How do we ordinary citizens here face our friend and associates across our shores?Where do we put our face?

When citizens came out in droves to save the nation through the ballot box, there were no significant shifts in taking the nation forward despite BN getting the vote. We saw more sex, murder and money trail exposes after exposes.

When citizens took to peaceful public protest in the streets, they were accused of destroying the nation. The law swung into quick action. The vanguards of religion and race went overdrive.

When able citizens tried to express their concerns and viewpoints out of desperation, through cartoons, blogs and twitter – they get hauled up.

Who can lead this nation out of this quagmire where our national honour and pride has been swept away with all these scandals, allegations and showmanship of sex, murder and money trails?

Is sworn silence the answer?

We have reached a point where the battle to split the nation is so deeply wedged that it appears that the future is bleak.

Barisan Nasional is riddled beyond repair despite having an extended 10-year lease. DAP-PAS-PKR are having all kinds of quarrels of their own at every critical junction.

Who do we blame for all these? The rich and powerful? The political power houses? The institutions? The sworn activists? Or shall we rakyat take all the shit and shut up?

If anyone thinks that this nation’s integrity, honour and pride has not been seriously battered by all these tsunami of sex, murder and money trails, we must be dumb as Dibble!

With Malaysia sinking sick with the sordid exposes of sex, murder and money trails, the question in our minds is what next.

Our leaders have lost all sensitivity to shame and seem so incapacitated in restoring honour and dignity. And to bout it all, there are people willing to dig in deep to profiteer along the wayside.

How do we save this sinking sick Malaysia?

* J.D.Lovrenciear reads The Malaysian Insider.