IS THIS LOVE, IRONY OR PLAIN OLD HYPOCRISY? - ANWAR CALLS FOR AN INDEPENDENT MACC - EVEN AS AZAM BAKI SUDDENLY FINDS 'A LOT OF NEW EVIDENCE' IN RADZI'S CASE

KUALA LUMPUR (Politics Now!) - In parrot-like fashion, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to be free from 'executive influence' and intensify efforts to combat graft.

His call comes amid rising public annoyance that his government was using enforcement authorities such as the MACC, police and MCMC to chop down political rivals, as well as critics who do not see eye to eye with him or his inner circle.

“The country or desired system cannot be developed without efforts to reject and bury the culture of corruption at all levels of society," Anwar wrote in  a Facebook post. 

“I am confident of the ability of MACC to fulfil this noble ambition for the sake of the people and the country."

'BODEK KAKIS' IN CHARGE

Yet, noble or not, the MACC had just days ago drawn a storm of public scorn and derision after suddenly finding 'a lot of new evidence' in the Radzi Jidin case. 

Radzi, a former senior minister and also the Bersatu MP for Putrajaya, found himself in the spotlight after offending Anwar and his inner circle with the remark "Saya yakin Anwar peliwat" (I believe Anwar is a sodomist).  

“I have been informed by the investigating officers that a lot of new evidence has been collected. So, we will continue with the investigation,” said MACC's own graft-tainted chief Azam Baki.

Radzi had hurled the remark 'I believe Anwar is a sodomist' during a chaotic session in Parliament recently. The Bersatu vice-president had lashed out at Anwar after the PM suggested he too could have been involved in dubious deals when he was in government, Radzi repeatedly demanded that the PM retract the remarks against him and his opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Radzi was subsequently ejected from the House, with his fellow PN lawmakers then staging a walkout in solidarity with him. Anwar was indeed imprisoned for sodomy on 2 separate occasions in the past and was controversially granted a royal pardon in 2018.

According to the government's news mouthpiece Bernama, the MACC has since the Radzi outburst arrested two individuals, including his former political secretary, on suspicion of soliciting and receiving bribes over an RM80 million project.

Both suspects are alleged to have conspired with the former Education minister to solicit and receive a bribe in return for the approval of a book project through direct negotiations.

Radzi has denied approving the project via direct negotiations, counter-accusing the MACC of being a tool of the Anwar regime. Radzi also alleged the arrests were ordered by the MACC following his outburst in Parliament.

Anwar's inner circle, said to be studded by incompetent and arrogant Little Napoleons from his PKR party, have clamped down hard on the use of words such as 'peliwat' (sodomist) and 'tin kosong' (empty vessel) to describe their boss.

They are said to be determined to ensure Anwar is able to survive at least one full term in power as PM. Yet the use of oppressive and dirty tactics have annoyed and disheartened supporters, who had expected much better from Anwar!

GOING BACKWARDS, NOT FORWARDS

Instead of advancing the country's interest, the Anwar regime is increasingly seen to be advancing their own personal interests, failing to do much to alleviate rising prices or charting a new course for the country since taking power late last year. 

The 'bodek kaki' politics or politics of the bootlickers that now typify most of Anwar's government has inadvertently helped the opposition coalition - PN and its star component PAS - advance their cause. 

PAS dynamos Sanusi Md Nor and Samsuri Mokhtar are now seen as the new Malay heroes, overtaking the aging and weakened Anwar who will be 80 when the next general election rolls around in 2027.

Politics Now!