Dennis Ignatius
~ Provoking discussion, dissent & debate on politics, diplomacy, human rights & civil society.
A man without remorse or repentance
28MondayOct 2024
[1] Much is being made of former prime minister Najib Razak’s so-called “apology” – an apology that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was quick to welcome[1] “in good faith” and as the “father of the nation”.[2]
[2] But what does Najib’s “apology” actually amount to? According to the statement read out by his son[3], he gave the impression that he’s actually an honest man done in by those he trusted, that he himself acted with the very best of intentions, that he honestly believed that the money he was spending with such reckless abandon was a political donation from Saudi Arabia. In other words, at worse, he was simply a poor judge of character and was naïve enough to believe that someone would deposit millions of dollars in his account out of a goodness of heart.
[3] What this so-called “apology” ought to tell us is that Najib remains a man without remorse, a man still in denial about his own criminality and culpability in what the US government called the largest case of kleptocracy in US history.[4] His so-called apology is nothing more than propaganda cunningly crafted to justify plans that are afoot to get him out of prison. To call such a statement an “apology” is to do serious harm to the English language. To accept such an outrageous denial of facts “in good faith” is to act in bad faith, to be party to a disingenuous scheme to minimise a great crime.
[4] To “welcome” Najib’s statement is to accept the spurious narrative that nine judges at three different levels of the judiciary got it all wrong when they convicted him of corruption and abuse of power. To accept such a ridiculous assertion is also to gloss over all that he did – including dismissing and sidelining officials who were about to expose the scandal as well as all those shady deals he brokered with China to cover up his crimes.
[5] Shockingly, despite the hogwash that he dished out, Najib was praised for his “magnanimity”, “noble character”, and his “undivided love for the people and country.”[5] Not to be outdone, a DAP member of parliament no less expressed admiration for the prime minister for his “humility and compassion” in accepting Najib’s apology and lauded him for his “statesmanship.” [6] Do these people have no shame, no self-respect, no integrity?
[6] I had thought Malaysia had redeemed itself and recovered its honour by bringing to book the man most responsible for a scandal which brought our nation so much shame and disrepute. What is happening now – this whole attempt by those in high places to diminish the import of the verdict against Najib, to whitewash the criminality and culpability of a dishonest and unremorseful man – makes me wonder whether we are so mired in the banality of evil that we can no longer distinguish right from wrong.
[7] What future can there be for a nation led by men with no moral compass, men who owe no allegiance to justice and truth or who so easily sacrifice all that is sacred on the altar of political expediency?
[Dennis Ignatius | Kuala Lumpur | 28th October 2024]
[1] Anwar welcomes Najib’s 1MDB apology | The Star | 25 October 2024
[2] PM Anwar dismisses backlash, calls critics ‘slow-witted’ as he says accepted Najib’s 1MDB apology ‘in good faith’ |Malay Mail |27 Oct 2024
[3] Najib apologises to all Malaysians over 1MDB debacle |The Star | 24 Oct 2024
[4] U.S. Seeks to Recover $1 Billion in Largest Kleptocracy Case to Date | FBI |20 July 2016
[5] Umno: Najib demonstrates undivided love for nation, people | Malaysiakini | 25 Oct 2024
[6] DAP MP lauds PM, but fears people won’t forgive if Najib forgiven | Malaysiakini | 25 Oct 2024
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