Letters | What the legal troubles of Malaysia’s former leaders tell us

Readers discuss whether the litany of former leaders in trouble signals a Malaysia at a turning point, unease over Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive waste water, and the cause of Canada’s wildfires

Malaysia

Letters

Published: 2:30pm, 13 Jun 2023

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With former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad being questioned by the police over remarks that allegedly belittled the country’s monarchy, the number of the country’s living prime ministers who have seen jail time or might still do so has risen to four.

Of the six living Malaysian prime ministers, Najib Razak is currently in jail, Anwar Ibrahim used to be in jail, Muhyiddin Yassin has been charged in court and Mahathir is under police investigation.

Even the triads likely do not have as many of their heads under investigation, prosecuted or behind bars as the heads of Malaysia’s government. What does having this kind of record say about the country?

From a glass-half-empty point of view, this kind of record is a sign that Malaysia might be close to being a failed state. If every succeeding prime minister tries to put their predecessor in jail, what guarantee is there that the prior government’s commitments will be honoured by the next one?

From a glass-half-full perspective, though, the fact that so many former Malaysian heads of state are looking at jail time could also be seen as the country undergoing a period of reformation.

Anwar, the current prime minister, came to power with a promise to rid Malaysia of corruption, cronyism and nepotism. To accomplish that, jailing the leaders of the old regime might be both necessary and inevitable. He must send a message that the old ways no longer apply, and putting the leaders of the old days in jail could be one of the best ways to send such a message.

Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician credited as being the father of Western medicine, defined a crisis as the point in a disease’s progression at which either the patient succumbs and dies or begins to recover. That so many Malaysian prime ministers are in legal trouble is a sign the country is in a state of crisis.

If all goes well, this crisis indicates Malaysia is experiencing a reformation that might cure it of debilitating disease. If it goes badly, this crisis means the disease from which Malaysia is suffering has crossed a point of no return and it will be all downhill from this point onwards.

Nehru Sathiamoorthy, Selangor, Malaysia

Fukushima waste water: no assurance can calm fears

I refer to the Japanese government’s plan to pour radioactive waste water into the sea (“Tokyo plan to release radioactive waste water is far too risky”, June 12).

It is not just neighbouring countries such as China and South Korea that oppose the move, but also groups within Japan, such as fishers in Fukushima, that have voiced objections to it. The fishers are worried that the contaminated water would lead to people losing confidence in seafood safety, thus affecting their business.

Environmental activists also doubt the government’s assurances that the water would be adequately treated before it is released into the Pacific Ocean.

Though Japan is bending over backwards to assure the world the water release would not harm the neighbouring environment and ecosystem, no assurance would settle the qualms of most people. I for one will hold back from eating Japanese sushi and seafood for a while. Do not blame me or call me a naive moron. I am afraid of ingesting radioactive food, no matter how slim the chance.

Randy Lee, Ma On Shan

Wildfires won’t burn away addiction to fossil fuel

Astronauts typically express awe and even love for the beautiful Earth below while they’re in orbit. I wonder how they feel when seeing the immense consequential pollution from raging forest and brush fires – like the one currently consuming much of Quebec and fouling American air – basically due to human-caused global warming.

If the world’s corporate CEOs, political leaders and over-consuming citizens rocketed far enough above the earth for a day’s orbit, will what they see have such a profound effect on them that they would change their support of big fossil fuel companies?

Even as bone-dry vegetation regions uncontrollably burn, mass addiction to fossil fuel products undoubtedly helps keep the average consumer quiet about the planet’s greatest polluter. It must be convenient for big fossil fuel companies.

Frank Sterle Jnr, British Columbia, Canada