COMMENT The scandal surrounding Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB, and involving billions of public funds, has puzzled many observers.

At the centre of the controversy is one key question: how did some RM2.6 billion end up in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s personal bank accounts? It’s yet to be explained. Meanwhile, a report by The Wall Street Journal quoting global investigation sources indicated the amount could be bigger than what has previously been revealed.

But another set of key questions warrant as much attention. How is a politician who is facing a series of serious allegations still in power? Why hasn’t the embattled PM stepped down and allowed due process to proceed? What happened to the democratic safeguards that were supposed to uphold transparency and accountability in Malaysia?