NO matter how much you dress it up, a sham is a sham.

Notwithstanding the fine binding, officious looking cover, and impressive 830 pages, the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) report of the forex losses incurred by Bank Negara Malaysia in the 1990s is nothing more than a sad attempt to score political points.

Even sadder is that the only people likely to be impressed by the lightweight report are:

1. The lightweight members of the RCI who put it together;

2. Prime Minister Najib Razak and his yes-men; 

3. The mainstream media

4. Umno politicians and their sycophants.

Here are some takeaways from the RCI:

* There was a time when RCIs were convened by the government as a fact-finding endeavour. Even in a land where institutions have been hollowed out and the leaders suffer a credibility deficit, the setting up of an RCI is still accepted at face value to be at least as an honest fact-finding mission. 

But the Bank Negara forex trading inquiry had a foul stench from the start because it was clear that the Najib administration was doing it to settle a score with a particular individual who had become a thorn in its side.

The forex scandal at the central bank happened decades ago and despite years and years of repeated calls from the opposition to uncover what really happened, there was no response from the Barisan Nasional government. Until now.

Why now? Because Dr Mahathir Mohamad has become a nuisance to Najib’s government. 

So in his haste to kill off his political nemesis, Najib reached for the one platform with some residue of credibility.

In doing so, he has continued in the fine tradition of Umno leaders who have turned to dust everything good they touched in this blessed country. 

* Beyond reasonable doubt. No hearsay. Corroboration of evidence . Presumption of innocence.

These are principles of criminal law practised the world over and which are judiciously applied in serious democracies. 

Incredibly, the inquiry paid scant attention to these principles but had the temerity to lay criminal offences at the feet of  Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim.

And we are advising African countries on rule of law, the justice system, and governance?

* Nor Mohamed Yakcop knew this day would come. He was responsible for the colossal losses because he was reckless. 

But at least he had the guts to admit it during the inquiry. In the run-up to the inquiry, he received messages from many individuals telling him what he should say and do to preserve his position in Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The pressure was immense but he chose to listen to his conscience.

Immediately after the inquiry, he tendered his resignation. The perks are gone and so are the long line of “friends”.

So what? A clear conscience and admission of wrongdoing is a better keepsake than the guilt from stitching another up to save yourself .

* What should Malaysians do with the RCI report?

Consign it to the dustbin of history. Suggest we do same with the muppets associated with the inquiry. – December 1, 2017.