BEING in an absolute control over monetary access by its deemed enemies should be the top priority of the unity government rather than to cast unduly concern over plotting of the Dubai Move to overthrow the government of the day.
Veteran journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin reckoned that money plays an important role in any movement to bring down or form the government.
“Power is equivalent to money for those who hold the reins of power. For those who are powerless, their property can be frozen or confiscated,” penned the national journalist laureate in his latest Facebook post.
“Because of money, opposition MPs defected to support Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the guise of seeking an allocation for their constituencies. The Demi Agama, Bangsa dan Negara (For the Sake of Religion, Race and Nation) slogan is merely a sweetener.”
Moreover, enforcement agencies such as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) have been investigating anyone they suspect to be in huge possession of money but not on the side of the unity government since its establishment a year ago.
“For people who know, proactive investigating has become a common practice,” observed Kadir. “This is especially so after the collapse of Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 2018 general election and the coup d’état using SD (statutory declaration) in the aftermath. It has somehow become ‘you do it on me, I do it on you’ or a tit-for-tat practice.”
Henceforth, Kadir is of the view that the Dubai Move could just be a ploy by the government of the day “to disseminate the narrative and propaganda as if evil-hearted people are always jealous and have no qualm to betray or topple Anwar”.
In the current context, Kadir deemed Anwar as holding “very strong administrative, political and financial powers” in his capacity as PM and Finance Minister. This is given the allocation under his direct control in Budget 2024 is almost RM79 bil, namely RM12 bil under the PM’s Department and RM66.57 bil under the Finance Ministry.
“It is impossible that his enemies have greater administrative, political and financial power than him (Anwar). After all, many of their accounts have been frozen and their property confiscated,” contended the former editor-in-chief of mainstream New Straits Times.
So, is the Dubai Move fuss merely a deception to create a feeling of unease among the opposition bloc?
“Anwar always needs a real or imaginary nemesis (enemy) to give legitimacy to his politics,” suggested Kadir. “That has been his method since his protest days as a youth in the 1970s till his conformist days in UMNO in the 1980s and 1990s, the reformasi period after he was sacked in 1998 and now the era of power in Putrajaya.” – Jan 4, 2024
Main pic credit: Zunar
