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Fear and loathing in Malaysia: Waning trust fans conspiracy theories
Cases of elite impunity have rocked the nation and eroded trust in institutions.
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An image of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki at a protest in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 15. The MACC is among institutions facing accusations of abuse of power.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
- Recent graft charges against top military officers and "ye ye" parties expose systemic corruption, eroding public trust in Malaysia's defence institutions.
- Widespread accusations of abuse of power, hypocrisy, and lack of transparency by enforcement agencies fuel public cynicism and conspiracy theories.
- Restoring trust requires urgent reforms focusing on transparency through an FOI Act and empowered independent oversight for enforcement agencies.
AI generated
On the surface, a recent spate of top-ranking military officers
After all, the 1Malaysia Development Berhad saga aside, the defence sector has produced some of Malaysia’s most notorious graft cases – from the RM5 billion purchase of submarines that struggled to dive to the RM11 billion littoral combat ship programme


