A WITNESS TO HISTORY

 

                                                         And Who Would You Vote?

A WITNESS TO HISTORY

I have been watching the present storm surrounding the latest decision concerning former Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The King has granted a conditional pardon allowing Najib to serve the remainder of his prison sentence under house arrest until August 2028, subject to a RM50 million fine. The decision was made through the Federal Territories Pardons Board.

I am not a politician, nor do I have any desire to become one.

But I am a Malaysian citizen — and I was already here before Merdeka in 1957.

I have lived long enough to witness governments change, politicians rise and fall, promises being made and sometimes forgotten. I have also had my own encounters with politicians over the decades, some of which left a taste in my mouth that I have never quite forgotten.

So I cannot simply look away now.

I have no interest in telling anyone what they should think about this decision. The constitutional authority of the King, the rule of law, accountability and the continuing fight against corruption are all matters that deserve careful consideration. Even within the present government there are differing reactions to what has happened.

For me, however, there is a question larger than Najib Razak himself:

What does this moment tell us about the Malaysia we are building — and the Malaysia we will leave behind?

I have spent a lifetime observing this country as an artist, a traveller and, above all, as a citizen.

Perhaps that is my only role today:

To remain awake.
To observe.
To remember.
And to bear witness.

History will eventually make its own judgment.

For now, I am simply watching.

Wallahu Alam.

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