AGC in spotlight for swift action on Malaysian scam probe findings

THIS is no ordinary probe; two weeks have passed since Malaysia's anti-graft agency revealed that it has submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) the findings of its investigations into the RM2.6 billion (S$850 million) transferred into Prime Minister Najib Razak's bank accounts.

That's two weeks too long for nary a word on the findings of the widely publicised scandal involving the country's highest office that rocked the country and sparked a deep political and confidence crisis for much of last year.

Malaysia's Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali has asked for more time to comb through the details of the lengthy report that include interviews with over 100 people, including the Middle East donor of the RM2.6 billion. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) findings are also in relation to SRC International, a unit once owned by scandal-hit state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and now under the Ministry of Finance. While Mr Apandi has reassured the public that he would act without fear or favour, he needs to keep in mind that this case, which he himself had pushed the MACC late last year to speed up its investigations on, should be of top priority. The longer he takes to decide on his next course of action based on the probe findings, the more it could shake the already weakened public perception of the country's highest-ranking public prosecutor.