The Emperor's New Clothes - A cautionary tale

The trifecta of vainglory, deception and speaking up brings to mind The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen because it is visionary of an ex-Prime Minister who is guilty of 7 charges relating to misappropriation of funds from the sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of RM 210mil. He is making final appeals to his guilty judgment at the apex court, and still has 35 more criminal charges relating to the 1MDB financial scandal to fight. He maximises his Get-Out-of-Jail-Card and walks like a free man with the ever obnoxious #maluapabosku hullabaloo that his spin doctors know appeals to financially-strapped folks paid to be astir wherever he goes as well as those still harbouring hope for #cronyism #spoils.

Vainglory

When the trial of Malaysian former Goldman banker involved in the 1MDB fiasco took place in New York that once again recapitulated his misdeeds, the ex-Prime Minister thought to enchant the more sophisticated folks by hiring an American public relations firm to wax lyrical about his non-involvement in the thievery of 1MDB funds. He also challenged the present-day government in Parliament on the non-repayment of 1MDB loans much to the chagrin of Parliament members. “Was he not the one who had conceived 1MDB as a money train for his embezzling family?” And after Malaysia’s `Grand Old Party’ won the state-election in Johor, being a skilled social media warrior, he exclaimed that the Johoreans had missed his premiership and that he was so proud to have managed the GOP’s successful election campaign.

Deception

In his #maluapabosku campaign, he compulsively plays up his delusion about being in the wrong place trusting the wrong guys at the wrong time. Even when his family and him had spent hundreds of millions that he did not know he had in his personal bank accounts? Never repentant. The mainly underthinking voters are still devoted to him, glorifying his past Robin Hood deeds. Respectable Malaysians will not be gaslighted, they are going to make good with their vote and prevent other Malaysians who tolerate entitlement to #bribes as a way of life from symbolising Malaysia as an obstinately #corrupt country.

Speaking Up

In The Emperor’s New Clothes, the rogue weavers had managed to deceive the Emperor and everyone who served the Emperor into believing that they were weaving the most splendid clothing. As the Emperor sauntered in a parade to show off the new clothes, only to be disguised by his own nakedness, a child called out the obvious. Soon enough, everyone began to call it as they saw it.

In the same fashion, we are #speakingup against treacherous corrupt actors. Never again can we bury our heads in the sand and allow another financial scandal regress us back to a resource-rich but under-developed nation.