A farce of an RCI is over

The Malaysian Insight The Malaysian Insight Updated 6 years ago · Published on 19 Sep 2017 2:30PM · 5 Comments

Hearsay and so-called evidence with crater-sized holes were accorded inordinate importance in the Bank Negara Malaysia forex losses royal commission of inquiry. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, September 19, 2017.

THE farce is over. The most amateurish inquiry in the history of Malaysia, held with the sole purpose of scoring political points, is done.

The royal commission of inquiry into Bank Negara Malaysia’s forex losses nearly 30 years ago finally wrapped up its proceedings today, having questioned 25 witnesses and studied 42 documents on the losses.

May we never see the likes of this sham again. It was chaired by someone who should be remembered with only disdain.

Mohd Sidek Hassan ended his civil service career as chief secretary to the government and went on to become Petronas chairman, but his conduct did not display any of that.

He made conclusions early on, refused to retract his remarks and questioned the witnesses in an adversarial manner, to the consternation and chagrin of all present.

Was this an inquiry or a full trial, one wonders.

Dr Mahathir Mohamad put it succinctly when he thought out loud what the RCI’s purpose was: not a probe into the forex losses, but to make him look bad.

“It is about finding a way to make me look bad in the eyes of the public. That during my time, money was also stolen,” he had told reporters in Putrajaya.

It was an inquiry so lacking in documentary evidence, it was shocking. It was just based on what people said, and there was no interest in recalling them when there were contradicting testimonies.

From day one, this RCI appeared to be a probe to connect the dots and nail Dr Mahathir, Daim Zainuddin or others who have become enemies of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Hearsay and so-called evidence with crater-sized holes have been accorded inordinate importance. Conclusions were made publicly early on, and not retracted.

No wonder, then, that right-thinking Malaysians stopped following the RCI. The stench of the farce was too strong to bear. It was not so much an inquiry, but a barely disguised inquisition and prosecution to taint critics.

It did not quite work out that way, though. It just added to the shameful sham piling up in Putrajaya. – September 19, 2017.

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Comments

  • Agreed fully it isn't a rigorous inquiry to unearth the truth, but a political witch hunt in facing the GE 14. The taxpayers' money could've been saved by not having it at all.

    Posted 6 years ago by Ahmad Ayob · Reply

  • Complete waste of public fund just because someone has a grudge to settle. Very sad.

    Posted 6 years ago by Awang Top · Reply

  • After meeting Trump, Najib got Trump's track record - all fails..

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Do not be too happy. If Najib cannot beat Mahathir, he wil buy his voters with your money..

    Posted 6 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • This RCI Bank Negara Malaysia's forex losses wayang with the RCI chief Mohamed Sidek Hassan reminded me about Nazis regime where they have a Pro-Nazis judge called Roland Freisler, the most infamous judge at Hitler’s People’s Court. He is called the screaming hanging judge. Freisler gained a reputation for humiliating those on trial in his court and it seemed that Freisler had no boundaries when it came to accomplishing this objective. Not only was Freisler judge, jury and prosecutor in the proceedings, he was also the recorder of sentences of the trials he oversaw. Freisler allowed just about anything to humiliate those on trial. Their guilt was sealed even before their trial had begun.

    Posted 6 years ago by Super String · Reply