COMMENT | The world's total GDP is calculated to stand at US$51 trillion. Malaysia does not have a US$1 trillion economy yet. Indonesia does.

When Malaysia cannot breach a GDP of US$1 trillion - even with 2020 in sight -something is seriously wrong. Either leakages are abound, or, corruption is endemic.

Of course, under Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak since 2009, both have been happening at grand scale, either directly or indirectly allegedly attributed to him.

But, as Henry Truman, the president of the United States once declared: "The buck stops with me." Najib does not have to say the same to make it valid. But leadership implies the need to take responsibility, and to delegate the right responsibilities to the capable and trusted lieutenants.

When Jho Low, aka, Eric Tan, together with gang of "Ocean 11", started raiding the vaults of the world's banks, in addition to working with Arabs like Ubaidi in Abu Dhabi to create IPIC Aabar - which is totally different from IPIC in Abu Dhabi, a valid sovereign fund - then some heads have to roll.

Heads have to roll

But none did. Instead, it was the former attorney general of Malaysia, Ghani Patail, Zeti Aziz and several heads of MACC, whose careers were prematurely ended in 2011.

This includes the political career of Muhyiddin Yassin and Mukhriz Mahathir too. When challenged to "Nothing to Hide", Najib went missing and hid from the glare of public scrutiny. Even in the Parliament, Najib again made the disappearing act.

Now, of the US$51 trillion economy, how much of it is driven and operationalised by corruption? Economists at the IMF and the World Bank tend to stick to a conservative estimate of two to five percent of the world's total GDP. That's nearly US$2.6 trillion...