COMMENT | Malaysia is going through mad times. We have two men, with the unmistakable Umno Baru DNA genetic material coursing through their veins, fighting for pole position.

Intoxicated by the trappings of power, one uses the instruments of the state to maintain his grip on power, principally to escape prosecution, whilst the other is fighting the leadership contest, albeit by proxy, to preserve his decades-old legacy.

The year is 2017, but it could so easily be 1987, when Team A and Team B, in the old Umno, was vying for control of the party. Control of the party meant control of one of the richest and most successful emerging Southeast Asian economies at the time.

Ironically, the more Najib Abdul Razak's apologists paint him in a good light, the end-result is that former PM, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, looks like an angel.

If ever we have learnt anything from the past, it is not to trust the Malaysian public. We easily lose sight of our objective, and lose the passion for fighting for what we believe in.

We were swept along by the tide of revelations about 1MDB, by the American Department of Justice (DOJ), Leonardo DiCaprio returning his prized Oscar, which once belonged to Marlon Brando, and model Miranda Kerr reluctantly (?) parting with Jho Low's multi-million ringgit gems. These exposés shocked the nation. Their impact was even felt in the rural areas.

The most important thing to do was to capitalise on the momentum created by the DOJ, demand answers from the government, and not stop, until it gives way, or gives up...