Though prime minister Najib Razak is still struggling to explain why more than 700 million USD originating from a State Fund have been found in private bank accounts (Bimonthly / 10 July 2015) and why another donation of a modest 2.6 million USD had reached him from Saudi-Arabia, he seems to remain firmly in office.
Daniel, persecution analyst for Open Doors World Watch Research, explains: "Prime minister Razak managed to counter the first wave of protests with a government reshuffle. The more dangerous development is that in his speeches, he resorts to usingethnic and religious overtones. On 18 August 2015, he once again
explained that of course he and his government would respect human rights - as long as it is in line with Islam. This is a dangerous approach as it leaves minorities little room to breathe. Whether the wave of scandals finally leads to diminishing trust in the government remains to be seen. For the time being, a
recently published poll found that more than 70% of respondents thought that the government should determine what is allowed and forbidden. This poll includes some interesting extra details: 73% believe the government should decide which subjects can be discussed in society, 79% feel that government should censor sensitive issues, 71% think communal harmony will be disrupted if people organize in groups, and 72% feel society will lapse into chaos if people have too many different points of view. It is perhaps significant that when the opposition called for protests on Independence Day last weekend between 25,000 and 300,000 (sources give conflicting numbers) demonstrators showed up.
Reportedly by far the majority came from the ethnic Chinese minority; the Malay majority is apparently not yet upset enough to take to the streets. So, in the end, these events could lead to a widening ethno-religious rift."
