Najib caught in the web of his own actions

There is much religiosity evident during this season. In this nation of diversity, the landscape is coloured by temples, mosques, churches and other varied houses of worship.

Cynics must be wondering why, despite all this worship nationally and globally, we find ourselves in a land and in the world facing desperate challenges. Some pray several times daily, others daily in their home, yet others on particular days of the week.

What then is the relationship between prayers and the challenges facing us personally and globally? Even among those who pray regularly frequently, some get caught and some are imprisoned while others await prosecution.

Some people may have been educated in religious or mission schools, yet when it comes to politics, greed takes over and this overrides prayer and supplication.

Education is not just the mere transference of information. Such information must inspire motivation, direction and provide life with an encompassing purpose.

When prayer meets action

So, what is it that really makes a difference? In the East, they refer to this as ‘karma’, which in some ways reflects action. The common refrain that ‘karma has caught up with him or her’ is a judgement based on what has caught up resulting from an individual’s negative actions.

If prayer does not mould right action, then such prayer is basically a conditioned response based on culture and tradition. However, if prayer determines the quality of one’s actions than the resultant karma will likewise be positive. We have all come across the saying, “You reap what you sow.”

If you sow rice, you will never reap wheat. Likewise, if you sow hatred, you will never reap love. Like the laws of gravity, these remain natural laws that are inviolable.

These are true for all religions. So, prayer has a direct relationship with the nature of our actions.

This further has a direct relationship with the values and moral standards that guide our lives. So let us consider this in relation to some recent realities we face in our nation.

Fractured political landscape

Umno – the United Malays National Organisation – is no more united. It is so fractured. Likewise, Bersatu, which infers togetherness, is equally fractured.

The ethnic Malay political landscape itself remains seriously fragmented. This will remain so as long as ethnicity defines their cause.

The great ‘divide and rule’ approach may be opportunistic politics to retain power in the short run. However, it is bad in the long run and ultimately, it catches up with its practitioners.

Divisive actions cannot provide positive results. There may be short term gains but what goes around eventually comes around.

Today, Sabah and Sarawak are calling the shots. After years of being exploited, politicians are speaking out.

We all know what the late Taib Mahmud did in Sarawak and how he was able to lead with impunity. All because he delivered the required seats in Parliament. The ends justified his complicity and impunity. This gave the then ruling coalition its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The same can be said for Sabah, where the indigenous people have been displaced by the “Project IC” scandal under Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration. You can rough ride for a time but justice ultimately catches up.

Affirmative action policies are short-term measures to ensure social justice. This can be said for the New Economic Policy.

However, when race and identity become the deciding factor and the basis for a long-term policy, then it is done at the expense of others. Injustice invariably sets in – something that can never be justified.

Malaysia is probably the only nation on the planet where such policies are framed in the interest of the majority ethnic group. Unfairness is felt by others and such exploitation has a cost.

Today, the Borneo states are calling out what is required under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

The allegedly ‘colonial’ mentality of those in Putrajaya is being highlighted. The same divide-and-rule tactic is used by Putrajaya, and today we see the results: a divided political response with greater polarisation.

What you do tells me more about you than all that you say. By your actions, you will be judged.

The reckoning

So, prayers that do not inspire fairness and justice are simply hot air because they do not inspire right actions that make a difference.

So, if we consider Najib Razak’s situation, we need to review his actions. He was the prime minister. He undertook actions by himself. And now, he pays for the consequences arising from those actions.

The people who get away are those who stood by – either in silence at the cabinet level or those who did not try to help him or believed he had the power to do what he did. This is what mediocrity does. It breeds yes men and women. The landscape of our civil service is filled with many such men and women.

Power, hierarchy and feudalism fill the space. For many, it is better to be silent than to speak out, for this is not the evident culture. In a way, the civil service also contributed to the 1MDB scandal

But, in the end, the buck stops at Najib’s table. The law has caught up with him. Despite his regular prayers and statements, it is his actions that determine the outcome. Without morality and values assisting discernment, one can see him as a victim, and this is how his supporters paint the scene.

Yet the loss of billions by the nation cannot be wished away by mere political support. Consider the hospitals, public services and other amenities that could have benefited the nation. His supporters are not able to discern that actions have their consequences.

Different people have responded to this issue in different ways. Each reflects the stage he or she is at. Some celebrate, others feel sorry, his lawyers fight for his cause by raising further issues. You may not like people’s responses but all of them reflect where they are on the issue at this point in time.

Yet the law is the law, and Najib has to face the consequences. The higher you are, the greater the fall. If everyone is equal before the law, then this is what prevails, irrespective of personal and party sentiments.

The monetary loss nationally itself is so great. The image and standing of the nation have also taken a battering. Some seem to have forgotten that Najib’s sentence was also reduced by half. Should he not be held to a higher standard of judgement?

This is what is meant by the saying, “You cannot get from prayers what you have not earned through character” – for ultimately, character is defined by our actions, conduct and behaviour.

The case revealed these details beyond sentimentality. The question remains whether Umno politicians are mature enough to appreciate such realities.

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