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Shades of 1MDB? How Malaysia’s anti-graft champions lost their voice
Malaysia’s top graftbuster and his agency face serious allegations but one-time crusaders, now in power, have opted to look the other way.
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Protesters holding a cut-out of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki during a demonstration in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 15.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
When gutsy reform campaigners gain power, are they doomed to shelve their higher ideals just to stay where they are?
The question brings to mind Tommy Carcetti, from the seminal 2000s American drama The Wire – one of the most unfiltered on-screen depictions of systemic decay. Introduced as a vociferous young Baltimore city councillor fizzing with righteous anger, Carcetti rides an improbable campaign into the mayor’s office.
