Bolehland Where The Poor Pay The Powerful Walk Free

---

 


Every day across Malaysia, thousands of vendors, gig workers, and small traders work themselves to the bone just to bring home a modest RM100 or RM200.
Grab, Foodpanda, and Lalamove drivers endure endless traffic, scorching weather, and the ever-present risk of road accidents just to earn a living that barely covers basic expenses.
Yet, despite their sacrifices, these Malaysians still pay taxes without fail.
And what do they get in return?
At the same time, the country is forced to stomach one headline after another about corrupt officials hiding obscene amounts of wealth. In one instance, authorities discovered RM170 million in cash and 16kg of gold in a so-called “safehouse” linked to a former prime minister.
The MACC has confirmed that investigations are complete, and the case is now with the deputy public prosecutor for possible charges. That announcement alone left many asking whether anything would actually happen.
MACC confiscates cash during a 2023 raidLet’s not mince words. The sight of rooms filled with stolen money is not just shocking. It is offensive. It is a slap in the face to every parent who cannot afford school uniforms, every hospital lacking basic equipment, and every worker forced to juggle multiple jobs just to survive.
That kind of money could have built schools where children do not sit on broken chairs. It could have funded clinics in underserved areas or raised wages for teachers and nurses. Instead, it sat hidden behind walls, protected not by locks but by impunity.
And the mockery does not stop there.
Corruption becomes an investment
Take the case of Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad, who was once my deputy in Bersatu. He was charged with 12 counts of corruption and money laundering under the Jana Wibawa programme, which was meant to uplift bumiputera contractors.
Allegations included soliciting bribes of between three and seven percent for road projects, and receiving at least RM6.7 million in kickbacks.
Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam MuhammadYet in a baffling turn of events, he was allowed to walk free after paying a RM4.1 million compound. Accused of enriching himself with millions, he returned part of the money, and that was that. No jail. No trial. Just a refund deal with change to spare.
This is not justice. As former economy minister Rafizi Ramli stated, it is a business model.
A margin of profit remained. The message sent was crystal clear: corruption is negotiable, provided you can afford the price.
And herein lies the rot.
If grand corruption is punished with partial repayment while the poor go to jail for stealing formula milk, the social contract is broken.
Justice must never be a matter of affordability. When powerful individuals are allowed to buy their way out of criminal charges while the rakyat is taxed to the last sen, we no longer live under the rule of law. We live under the rule of connections.
This is a dangerous precedent. Because it tells everyone watching in government, in business, in politics that stealing from public funds is not a crime. It is an opportunity. An investment with low risk and high returns.
Bleeding Malaysia dry
It is not the rakyat who are bleeding this country dry. It is not the vendors or the riders. It is not the labourers or the nurses or the teachers. It is the greed of a few, protected by power, shielded by bureaucracy, and enabled by a justice system that bends when it should stand firm.
This is not about politics. This is about morality.
In recent years, we have seen this pattern emerge. High-profile figures are charged. Headlines trumpet justice in motion. Then silence.
Before long, we hear they have paid a compound. No jail time. No formal accountability. In Malaysia, you can steal millions, return a fraction, and walk free.
This should not be normal. This cannot be acceptable.
Malaysia is not poor because its people do not work hard. We are poor because our institutions often protect those who betray the public trust. Corrupt politicians and civil servants do not just steal money. They steal futures, dignity, and hope.
Until corruption is punished with the same severity as petty theft, until political power no longer buys immunity, and until stolen public money is fully reclaimed with interest and shame, Malaysia will remain trapped in this toxic cycle. No reform or economic plan can succeed where trust is dead.
Let us call this what it is. A mockery.
And Malaysians deserve better. - Mkini
MAHATHIR MOHD RAIS is a former Federal Territories Bersatu and Perikatan Nasional secretary.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

---