Silas Marner's Why was Augusta bought in the first place is the perfect riposte to Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff's cries of indignation and calls for transparency.

What possessed Proton to buy Augusta is the bigger issue here as it does seem a strange purchase from the outset.

Was Mahathir hoodwinked into approving the deal or was he the architect and Mahaleel the facilitator? Whatever, both are now equally culpable and their integrity is rightly at stake.

Their statements so far have not made a strong business case for the purchase and how they were going to turn around Augusta, especially when the present Proton board has not in so many words declared that it is not worth the effort.

Mahathir, for one, can no longer cite executive prerogative and it is high time that he learns to explain his actions or else be damned.