malaysia tatler. august 2019 129
S
ADLY, THIS DIVIDE MASKED A
bigger problem. In 2015, news
broke that Dato’ Sri Najib Razak,
Malaysia’s former Minister of
Finance and Prime Minister,
received RM2.6 billion into
his personal accounts. A year
later, Wall Street Journal ran a full exposé
on Malaysia’s state-owned fund 1Malaysia
Development Berhad (1MDB), scrutinising
the company’s suspicious money transactions
and indicated evidence pointing to money
laundering, fraud, and grand larceny. A lawsuit
fi led by the United States Department of Justice
alleged that at least US$3.5 billion has been
stolen from 1MDB.
Dato’ Sri Najib pleaded innocence as calls
for him to step down went unheeded. His
administration allegedly arranged for the leaders
of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission
and Central Bank of Malaysia to ‘retire’ after
rumours broke that the two government
agencies were building a case against 1MDB.
Draconic laws were used to shut down Malaysian
publications that investigated 1MDB. Public
anger seethed to a boiling point, fuelled by the
unpopular Goods & Services Tax, which many
linked to the rising cost of living.
Even as people took to the streets to voice
their unhappiness in rallies and protests,
Barisan Nasional was certain of its victory in
the 14th General Elections in 2018. Why? For
60 years, the elections have swayed to the
ruling party’s favour. The Electoral Commission,
which organises and mobilises the electionprocess, is parked under the Prime Minister’s
offi ce, thus putting the system into question.
Gerrymandering was common, plus alleged dirty
tactics such as there being phantom voters.
Amid this doom and gloom, one man rose to
the occasion. Enter Tun Mahathir Mohamad,
who served as the nation’s Prime Minister from
1981 to 2003. Often branded by the press as an
‘autocrat’ and ‘dictator,’ he was also Dato’ Sri
Najib’s political mentor before the two had a
bitter political fallout due to the 1MDB scandal.
To face off against Barisan Nasional, Tun
Mahathir formed his own political party, and
reconciled with former opposition leaders—
including those he had formerly put behind
bars—to create a coalition called Pakatan
Harapan (Alliance of Hope) for the 2018 general
elections. His courage to return to politics and
make peace with former political ‘enemies’
such as Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit
Siang for the betterment of the country, inspired
Malaysians to do their part for their country,
by sharing their voices in the ballot box, despite
the odds being stacked against them.
As the 2018 general elections unfolded, two
women were on the ground to document history,
as Malaysia voted in a new government for
the fi rst time in its 61 years as an independent
nation. Together with Oscar-winning producer
Ruby Yang, these two women—Datin Dian Lee
and Ineza Roussille—created M for Malaysia,
a compelling documentary that tells a story
of reconciliation, hope and people power.
Turn over to the next few pages to read about
their inspiring stories.