A COUPLE of weeks ago, if you had given any senior police officer the most damning evidence against Najib Razak and even programmed his GPS to Jalan Langgak Duta or Pavillion Residences, precious little would have happened.

In fact, there is a good chance that you may be hauled in by the cops for questioning.‎

That’s just the way it was in Malaysia before the 14th general election on May 9.

Self-preservation was the name of the game and the most skilled exponents of that art were those in positions of power and influence – senior police officers, judges, senior civil servants, editors, journalists‎ and ministers.

The attorney-general didn’t move further on the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal and the long line of police officers from the inspector-general of police downwards just went along with the “no further action” charade.

Did the men in blue know that there was something terribly wrong with the now discredited narrative ‎of the former prime minister receiving RM2.6 billion from a Saudi prince?

Of course.

Did they know about the ostentatious lifestyle of the first family and about the hundreds of handbags suggested some wrongdoing?

Of course. The speed at which the apartments at the Pavilion Residences were ‎raided suggested that the police had the necessary intelligence.

‎Did they understand the pledge to serve King and country?

How could they not.

So, why is it only now that Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Amar Singh and the men in blue have swung into action?

Twelve raids. RM114 million in cash seized. 72 pieces of luggage containing jewellery and over 284 expensive handbags. That’s the haul netted as a result of police raids at properties linked to Najib and his family.

Impressive.

But why only now?

Once again, the answer appears to be self-preservation.

The person they are investigating no longer holds the levers of power. Najib can’t promote them or demote them. He is a nobody.‎ He can’t hurt the cops who are investigating him.

On the flip side, the people who want the 1MDB case thoroughly probed now occupy the seat of power and they can be career wreckers for any laggard wearing blue.

Once they preserved their positions, titles and perks by doing little.

Now they are preserving their positions, titles and perks by doing their jobs.

So please, hold the applause for Amar Singh and his friends at Bukit Aman. They are not heroes or saviours.

They are finally doing what they should have done a long time ago. – May 26, 2018.