While I would love to write about Nasi Goreng or Kari (hopefully in my next post), I have been studying Malaysian politics lately and feel obliged to address the 1MDB scandal and the groundbreaking 2018 elections in the country. Though not entirely contemporary since this happened over a year ago, my first artifact, seen below, is a good encapsulation of how the Malaysian public mobilized and voiced their discontent with the corruption their country was facing following this scandal. Its importance should not be underscored.
(Photo Credit: Strait Times https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/signs-malaysians-are-shrugging-off-1mdb-saga)
The above sign, which reads "Save Malaysia, Catch the Thief," is referring to the Malaysian financier and current international fugitive Jho Low. He is alleged to have taken, with members of the government's consent or active participation and with the help of Goldman Sachs, upwards of $3.5 billion USD from the Malaysian taxpayers in a front that was housed under the Ministry of Finance. When news of this monumentous scandal and breach of trust broke out and developments in the story that included Prime Minister Najib Razak's alleged involvement and profit were made, the Malaysian public took to the streets in protest and, through the general elections in 2018, overturned the ruling party (UMNO) for the first time in the country's history. The elections not only signified the ability of the Malaysian voter base to overturn a corrupt regime democratically, but also resulted in this turnover in political power to the country's previous 4th Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who, in addition to being 93 years old at the time, left the UMNO and ran under an opposition coalition. The return to the country's longest serving prime minister (1981-2003), while resurrecting a contentious legacy, displayed how formative and impactful he was in the creation of modern Malaysia.
While the above protester is unnamed, the significance is that largely symbolic: the effectiveness of the Malaysian populace voicing discontent and taking to the streets in a democratic way. Malaysia is a true multiethnic society in many senses, and the aforementioned demonstrations penetrated people from all different cultural backgrounds and walks of life in the country. This scandal not only impacted the Malaysian economy and put the taxpayers' money into the pocket of a few corrupt officials, but it also embarrassed many Malaysians on the world stage. Regardless of who exactly was culpable, keeping the ruling regime in office posed too unlikely of a risk to Malaysia's future. Mahathir has signaled his intention to only serve as prime minister for another year or so, after at least some attempts have been made to clean up the political mess that he and his party inherited. Trials both in Malaysia and by the United States Department of Justice are currently underway, with Najib Razak claiming no responsibility and Jho Low hiding in a currently unknown location avoiding trial. Anyone attempting to understand contemporary Malaysian affairs should familiarize themselves with the details of this scandal, and this cultural artifact is an effective way of witnessing the protests and their reach in the aftermath of the scandal's unearthing.
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