“Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them.”

– Joseph Heller, Catch-22

COMMENT | Prasarana Malaysia Bhd chairperson Tajuddin Abdul Rahman's press conference regarding the LRT accident was a cocktail of hubris, arrogance, vulgarity, bigotry and coarseness but a fine example of what this regime values in its minions.

Watching the presser was like watching another slow-motion train wreck which is unfortunate because the last thing the rakyat wanted was another collision, this time between public accountability and a kakistocratic operative of this regime. The position Tajuddin holds is not a job but a reward. He certainly treats it as such. And no doubt many before him.

After all, the Perikatan Nasional regime was handing out positions like candy to its motley crew of political frogs and supposed allies, and this is part of the mainstream political culture in this country.

This could have happened any time but the fact that it happened now, with someone like Tajuddin, who is incapable of maintaining a modicum of competency and professionalism, is demonstrative of the bottom of barrel approach of this regime.

Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak reassuring everyone that Tajuddin will resign at the "appropriate time", is also the kind of political opportunism that values agenda over accountability and further demonstrates the cynicism of the political elites when confronted by tragedy.

The fact that the Finance Ministry decided to remove Tajuddin from his...