Ending Days of Political Gridlock, Malaysia’s King Appoints a Prime Minister
New York TimesDec 23, 2022
The Facts
On Friday, former Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin was charged with alleged corruption and money laundering related to government stimulus projects awarded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Muhyiddin, who was in office for 17 months from 2020 to 2021, was charged with four cases of abuse of power to obtain bribes for his party Bersatu and two of money laundering. However, he rejected the accusations as politically motivated.
The Spin
Narrative A
The MACC has never been an independent body, as it operates under the jurisdiction of the executive branch of the government. However, the premiership of Anwar has weaponized it against the opposition to an extent not seen since the infamous 1987 Operation Lalang, with the clear intent to influence the outcome of upcoming regional elections.
Narrative B
It is deplorable that some people are claiming that Malaysia's anti-graft agency is politically motivated — the main responsibility of the MACC is, precisely, to probe corruption allegations. Prime Minister Anwar has nothing to do with the ongoing investigations, which draw on documents from the Ministry of Finance.
