SATIRE With ongoing money laundering and possible corruption probes against our state investment arm 1MDB overseas, foreigners may wonder why the state-owned fund, which is the brainchild of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and related individuals, is not quite getting the same treatment back home.

While 1MDB was the subject of investigations by local law enforcement agencies and regulators, its peccadilloes were written off as business-related administrative weaknesses in Malaysia, and the blame was laid on its board and management.

And of course, Najib, who led the advisory board and under whose signature each and every major deal and transaction was approved, was rightly exonerated.

The joint task force on 1MDB and the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee also stopped all proceedings after hanging 1MDB's board and management out to dry, and asking police to target them for investigations.

Najib was also cleared of all wrongdoings with regard to the donations and mysterious millions of ringgit in funds which made its way into his accounts, by the new attorney-general he had appointed to replace the one which was sick and who was leading a task force investigating 1MDB.

He said that he has returned part of the money, but did not explain what happened to the rest, including the ones which he was reported to have said that he did not know may have originated from a 1MDB subsidiary.

Such things as the above may be confusing to foreigners, but this is because they do not know how corruption is defined in Malaysia. We, of course, know better.

Know our laws

The following are 10 things that they need to know to understand why 1MDB scandal seems to be just bright skies and hunky-dory to the Najib-led BN government.

1) First of all when it comes to corruption, ignorance IS a defence, the dictum about ignorance of the law is no defence notwithstanding.

2) Donation to public officials is not corruption regardless of what is mentioned in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

3) It is not graft if you claim you do not use the money for personal uses.

4) If you are not named directly in any civil or criminal proceedings, then you are not culpable, even if those related to you and organisations under your direct purview are involved.

5) Graft and corruption complaints and investigations against elected public officials may constitute treason.

6) Questioning superiors over possible questionable conduct or financial misappropriations are grounds for dismissal.

7) If you are suffering from a disease or sickness, you shouldn't be in a position where you have purview over corruption investigations as you may suddenly be removed from office on account of the government being concerned about your health.

8) The attorney-general is empowered to declare that there is no corruption, graft or wrongdoing even before the matter goes to court.

9) If you are clueless, or at least claim to be clueless about the origins of suspicious funds that have suddenly been deposited into your account, then you are innocent of corruption or graft.

10) If you are democratically elected, those asking that you be investigated for alleged corruption are enemies of democracy and possibly foreign agents to boot. And, of course, you are immune to accusations as long as you are in office, and can take action against detractors just because they hurt your feelings.

HAZLAN ZAKARIA is a member of the Malaysiakini team.