COMMENT | Only the truth would have saved those involved. Instead of putting all the cards on the table and accepting that wrongs had been committed, they were involved in a game of spin-doctoring and half-truths.

And when the facts came to light, the stink emanated from the home minister’s office and two other departments under its purview - the National Registration Department and the Immigration Department.

Shortcuts were taken, and ministerial discretion was exercised without safeguards, and they came with a caveat: reforms, from clear standard operating procedures to mandatory timelines for renunciation to prevent future abuse.

It was no ordinary rebuke. It came from the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) following an inquiry into how seven foreign footballers became Malaysian citizens without going through the prescribed processes.

On July 11, the EAIC laid bare...