Ditch conspiracies to topple gov’t, just fix economy

Former minister Rafidah Aziz is right in saying it is the country’s economy, not conspiracy theories that the government should be engrossed in.

COMMENT

By Charles Santiago

There is certainly another circus in the making. And all because die-hard loyalists of Prime Minister Najib Razak are trying really hard to divert the attention of the people from issues plaguing his administration.

The police chief has vowed to investigate claims of an Umno coup to topple Najib, who has dug his heels in and refuses to allow for a graceful transition of power.

There also exists a blog now with names of all Umno leaders who were allegedly plotting a premature end to Najib’s career.

The rakyat are not stupid. They are enraged with the unfolding of news, almost on a daily basis, that drives home the point of Najib’s wheeling and dealing in the sovereign state fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

And so is former minister, Rafidah Aziz, who has rubbished the conspiracy plot and instead asked the government to look into crucial issues that are threatening the country’s economy and political stability.

I totally agree with her.

An international risk-rating agency, Global Risks Insight, has warned that the 1MDB scandal has “shattered business confidence in Malaysia”.

The rakyat has been raising pertinent questions about Najib’s brainchild, which has incurred 42 billion ringgit in debts, in five short years.

There is also the question of the RM2.6 billion that was transferred to Najib’s personal bank account.

However there has been no credible answers thus far.

The ringgit is one of the globe’s worst performing currencies, having crossed the psychological barrier of RM4:USD1.

Currency traders say there is a shortage of foreign currencies in the country, as faith in the ringgit slips.

The falling global oil prices have a negative impact on oil-dependent Malaysia’s government debt.

Malaysia’s household debt is climbing even higher.

But instead of looking into tidying up this glaring mess, as Rafidah says, Najib and his sycophants are busy creating conspiracy theories to keep the prime minister in power.

Next, Najib and his goons will spin another conspiracy yarn around the Bersih 4.0 rally, dismissing the rakyat’s legitimacy in calling for the premier to step down.

However can Najib continue the wayang kulit, especially as calls for his resignation from Umno leaders are becoming more vocal?

The answer, I guess, lies in the unfolding of events in the next few weeks.

Charles Santiago is the MP for Klang.