Attorney-general (AG) Mohamed Apandi Ali's rejection of the investigations and recommendations of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and exoneration of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of any crime or wrongdoing in the RM2.6 billion donation and RM42 million SRC International scandals, have convinced the overwhelming majority of Malaysians that they cannot get to the bottom of these scandals from the ordinary government investigation and enforcement agencies and processes.

The end of July last year saw the “purges” of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Senior Minister for Rural and Regional Development Shafie Apdal and attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail being sacked from their positions.

Moreover, there had been the arrest or immediate transfer of key officers in major investigative agencies like the AG's Chambers, Bank Negara, the MACC and the police - associated with demands that there should be full and fearless investigation into the twin mega scandals.

Not to mention, the four-month derailment of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) investigations into 1MDB and the subsequent appointment of a 'cari makan' (make a living) PAC chairperson - many have entertained doubts that the truth about Najib's scandals could be uncovered by normal investigative and enforcement agencies and processes.

The last nail in the coffin for those who still harboured “hope against hope” that the normal investigative and enforcement agencies could produce results in the probes into Najib's twin mega scandals, was the AG's decision to reject the MACC's recommendations and to exonerate Najib of any wrongdoing by deciding that no charges would be brought against the PM.

Apandi's decision shocked not only Malaysians, but also the international legal and juridical community, with the Swiss AG openly expressing his dismay at his Malaysian counterpart's decision.

Those who had tenuous hopes and expectations of a full discovery about Najib's scandals have come to the end of the road, and it is no exaggeration to say that the AG's decision has opened the eyes of those who had thought that the rule of law would be fully respected by the AG and the ordinary justice system in the country.

In the circumstances, the time has come for the next stage of demanding for full accountability of Najib's twin scandals, viz calling for a royal commission of inquiry to conduct a public inquiry - as nobody expects the truth to be revealed if the matters are left solely to normal government investigations or even the PAC.

LIM KIT SIANG is MP for Gelang Patah and also the DAP parliamentary leader.