Kudos to the police and MACC for acting against these corrupt VVIPs. — The Star
EVERY time a titled person, usually a Datuk or Datuk Seri, is arrested and is investigated by the authorities, many of us in the media would get calls from people who want to find out who has been snared.
It is a standard practice, both by the media and enforcement agencies, not to name the person implicated at the investigations stage.
It’s only when these people are finally charged in the courts that their identities may be revealed along with the details of the charges.
There is really nothing in the law to stop the media, the police or Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission from naming people under investigation or who have been remanded.
But it is fairly common for suspects to be arrested and later released with no charges being pressed against them despite the raids that hit the headlines.
These could be due to lack of sufficient evidence or because the prosecutors do not wish to proceed. Suspects also sometimes become prosecution witnesses against a bigger target.
But there are exceptions if the cases involve high profile personalities and the cases are of public interest.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaacob is one example. He has been openly named as a suspect in the case where over RM170mil in assets were seized from several “safe houses”.
However, with social media, the names of suspects in various cases have gone viral with unsubstantiated information and allegations, and from unknown sources.
People who post such allegations do not have to face legal implications unlike the established media.
There is another unprecedented case. In my over 40 years as a journalist, I have never come across so many Tan Sris being arrested at one time over one case.
Last week, a third Tan Sri was nabbed over his alleged involvement in the Mobility Beyond Imagination (MBI) investment scam.
The 53-year-old man was detained at about 2am on May 1 in Penang after he returned from abroad.
His name had been circulating for weeks among the media and some reporters had prematurely reported his arrest.
The well-known developer has been reported by the press to be a proxy for a syndicate as well as a business partner of some of the suspects. It is claimed he received profits from the investment scam for money laundering purposes.
Previously it was reported that another Tan Sri, said to be a Kedahan, and a Datuk Seri were arrested under Ops Northern Star, which has now seen the seizure of RM3.5bil in assets linked to the MBI investment scheme, including a hotel and durian plantations.
A Rolls Royce belonging to the Tan Sri, known to be close to political personalities in the Kedah state government, is said to have been seized, and 299 bank accounts with RM123,614,594 frozen.
Titled lawyers from Penang have also been nabbed by the police over the case.
In March, another Tan Sri, a chairman of a public listed company, was arrested for alleged involvement in a RM10mil scam – it was claimed the money would be handed over to the police to resolve money laundering cases.
The prominent Chinese community figure has since stepped down from his posts in the oil and gas company. This case is, however, not related to the MBI scam.
In all fairness, none of these Tan Sris, who were given these high titles for their purported contributions to the country and community, have been charged yet.
Last year, the late Tun Daim Zainuddin was charged with failing to declare his assets but the former Finance Minister was freed of the charge after his demise.
Former PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is also facing abuse of power and money laundering charges.
We have lost count of lesser ones – those with Datuk and Datuk Seri titles – who have been jailed.
The most famous one, of course, is our former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who has been convicted and is now serving his jail sentence.
He remains a Datuk Seri because not all the state Rulers have revoked his title. In 2022, Selangor and Penang revoked the titles awarded to Najib.
His wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who was awarded the Datin Paduka Seri title by the Selangor Ruler in 2005, also had her title taken back after being convicted by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in 2022 on three charges of soliciting and accepting bribes.
Malaysians are no longer surprised by the increasing number of titled Malaysians facing arrests and convictions, mostly involving criminal offences ranging from corruption and money laundering to abuse of power and fraud.
These developments are causing public concern and raising questions over the integrity of the honorific system, the accountability of the elite, and the broader implications for governance and public trust in Malaysia.
Malaysia’s honorific titles are bestowed by federal and state rulers as recognition for service, contributions to the country, or achievements in various fields.
Titles like Datuk, Datuk Seri, and Tan Sri confer a degree of prestige and societal standing.
However, in recent years, there has been a proliferation of such titles, sometimes granted in questionable circumstances or seemingly with little regard for merit or public service.
Their service, achievement, and leadership have become tainted or even meaningless in the face of moral and legal decay.
Let’s face it. The huge number of titled Malaysians have taken the shine off these awards.
Some states like Selangor, Johor, Perak, and Sarawak have always limited their number of awards.
Selangor even stipulates a minimum age for recipients and a maximum number of awards.
Rightly or wrongly, some states seem to be too generous in their awards, giving rise to various allegations, unproven of course, but which have nevertheless eroded public confidence in the system’s integrity.
It suggests that the mechanism for vetting honourees may be flawed, and that wealth, political connections, or influence can overshadow character and ethical behaviour.
There is a need to examine the award process, a clear and standard revocation method, serious enforcement by the police, and integrity at all levels.
There is also an increasing number of brazen Malaysians who pass themselves off as title holders when they are not, as the Malaysian Datuk-Dato Council would be able to testify.
Kudos to the police and MACC for acting against these corrupt VVIPs. Prestige and honour should not be undermined by scandal.
The last thing we want is to see our prison wardens having to address their inmates as YB, when they have already lost the right.
