Malaysia’s ‘Toxic’ Politics Are Similar to ‘Game of Thrones’, Says Prime Minister’s Brother · Global Voices
Jerrenn Lam

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Photo from Najib's official Facebook page
Malaysia's political situation must be really in bad shape if you have the brother of the prime minister comparing recent events in the country to the Hollywood drama series ‘Game of Thrones’.
Nazir Razak, brother of Prime Minister Najib Razak and chairman of the country's second largest bank, expressed concern about the fallout from the corruption scandal involving the ruling party. In an Instagram post which quickly went viral in Malaysia, Nazir could see some parallels in Malaysia's political troubles to the story of the TV series ‘Game of Thrones’, in which different families in a medieval European-esque world brutally compete for power.
So what lies ahead? The parallels with GoT continue. The future terrifies me: I just can't see how our institutions can recover, how our political atmosphere can become less toxic, how our international reputation can be repaired. I think we have to pause, fix our moral compass and deal with our structural problems holistically. I believe we need National Consultative Council 2 now.
A photo posted by Nazir Razak (@nazir.razak) on
The text of his post reads:
So what lies ahead? The parallels with GoT continue. The future terrifies me: I just can't see how our institutions can recover, how our political atmosphere can become less toxic, how our international reputation can be repaired. I think we have to pause, fix our moral compass and deal with our structural problems holistically. I believe we need National Consultative Council 2 now.
Last year, the prime minister was accused of pocketing almost 700 million US dollars from 1MDB, a state-run investment firm. Najib claimed that the money in his personal bank accounts was a political donation from a member of the Saudi royal family. The issue sparked protests across Malaysia, while some of Najib's allies even called for his resignation.
But early this year, the attorney-general cleared Najib of all wrongdoing.
However, the issue continues to divide the country. Many are not convinced that Najib received the money on behalf of the ruling party.
Former Cabinet Minister Rafidah Aziz questioned if this action by the attorney-general will set a negative precedent for future political donations. Rafidah's Facebook post was shared by more than 5,000 users.:
…the AG should be prepared to explain the details ..and the implications of the decisions…
…..is it a Precedent set now, in how donations channeled to individuals, through private accounts, can be returned …not necessarily in full..AND the slate is regarded clean ? No case …?
Aziz, who is a member of the ruling coalition, also urged the prime minister to learn from this debacle:
Perhaps the most important LESSON that Pm would have, learnt is NEVER to go around seeking political donations from anyone ,that CANNOT be explained clearly, at first glance. AND NEEDING A LONG TIME TO EXPLAIN!
Especially from foreigners ! Or from ANYONE for that matter!
In addition to the local investigation, Najib's government is also facing questions from foreign authorities. The Swiss authorities reported that almost four billion US dollars had been stolen from Malaysian state companies, and Singapore has seized some bank accounts in relation to a money laundering probe.
Many citizens continue to question the legitimacy of the political donation:
@WSJ Saudi granted $100mil to Palestinians in 2013 and donated $681mil to an individual like @NajibRazak?
— Norm (@_norman_g) enero 26, 2016
If you can accept the AG's decision just like that, then I judge you hard. Real hard.
— Syahredzan Johan (@syahredzan) enero 27, 2016
While others wondered about how things can proceed after the announcement:
1) When was the money returned? 2) Why was the money returned? 3) Is it common practice for “donations” to be returned?
— Umapagan (@umapagan) enero 26, 2016
Others called for further investigations:
Uncovering the truth in #1MDB scandal requires Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Razak to be cross examined in courthttps://t.co/Sq0qgBLtSp
— Nurul Izzah (@n_izzah) diciembre 14, 2015
And finally, some humor:
24) If “donations” and “gifts” are non-taxable, can I ask my employer to stop paying me a monthly wage and give me occasional gifts instead?
— Umapagan (@umapagan) enero 26, 2016