After more than six decades in power, the era of the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition finds itself shut out of power, with Malaysians voting overwhelmingly against the leadership of Prime Minister Najeeb Razak. The results in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections came as a stunning and remarkable rebuke to a man who had changed laws and gerrymandered electoral districts to try and secure his political survival.
Even as the results showed that the 92-year-old former prime minister, Mahathir Mohammad, had secured enough seats to form a government in the Lower House — the Dewan Rakyat — Najeeb offered members of parliament 20 million ringgit (Dh18.59 million) to change allegiances. That underscores the reason why Malaysians turned their backs on Najeeb and his coalition, one that has ruled Malaysia for the 61 years since the nation gained its independence from Britain.
One of Mahathir’s first acts was to announce that his new government would be taking measures to secure the return of some $4.5 billion (Dh16.55 billion) that was siphoned off by Najeeb and his closest associates in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal. There are accusations that Najeeb personally benefited by as much as $700 million funnelled into his personal bank accounts as 1MDB funds were used for gambling in Las Vegas, a jet, yachts, jewellery and luxury homes.
A previous parliamentary inquiry found Najeeb culpable, but had no legislative powers to sanction further action while he said mistakes were made in the administration of 1MDB funds. Now, following his personal and political humiliation in Wednesday’s polls, Najeeb undoubtedly faces the prospect of criminal indictment for his personal role — and personal enrichment — in the scandal. Given the landslide nature of those election results, he has few supporters and even less who might be willing to give him a sympathetic hearing. He had rigged the election to require less than 20 per cent of votes to return to power. Even that low bar eluded him.
Mahathir is an experienced hand at government, having led his nation for 22 years from 1991 to 2003, before coming out of retirement to take on and defeat his former political protege. He has said he will quickly name the key members of a new cabinet and indicated that Malaysia king, Mohammad V of Kalantan, would offer a full royal pardon to Anwar Ebrahim, the jailed opposition leader. His wife, Wan Azizah, was Mahathir’s main coalition partner in Wednesday’s election, and will most likely be Mahathir’s successor when the 92-year-old eventually wishes to return to retirement.
