Malaysia needs to find a way out of its highly charged political situation

MALAYSIA's political storm, worsened by the country's macroeconomic challenges, has escalated since Prime Minister Najib Razak moved to tighten the grip on his leadership with a cabinet shake-up and clampdown on his critics.

The move has derailed the ongoing probe into controversial state-backed 1Malaysia Development Bhd by Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as four of its senior members, including the chairman, were appointed ministers. Malaysians had been hoping the PAC's findings would provide clarity on the firm's troubles.

Meanwhile, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail was sacked, while officers linked to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) were arrested. Many others have reportedly been hauled up to assist in police investigations in connection with leaked official documents involving the 1MDB probe.