RCIs coincide with polls, but...

Published on: Sunday, July 30, 2017

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By Joshua Y C Kong
YANG di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V has given his consent for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) foreign exchange (forex) losses in the 1990s.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the RCI was set up according to the Commission of Inquiry Act 1950 and had come into effect on 15th July, 2017. The commission will complete its investigation within three months, with a full report on the investigation to be presented to the king.

It is very interesting to note such a RCI can be achieved within three months after the massive event had happened almost a quarter of century ago after repeated calls for RCI were made in the decades that followed.

Strangely this RCI is so close to the General Election 14 which is due any time now.

Another Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Sabah’s illegal immigrant (RCI IIS) problem was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday, August 11, 2012.

Again this RCI was also called just months before GE 13 and the RCI was in progress while GE13 was held.

This RCI had been repeatedly called by various quarters since 1980s but was ignored.

The strange story of RCI IIS heard in open Court in 2013 is beyond much belief so much so that till now and more than two years after the much delayed Royal Report delivered on 3rd December, 2014, nothing whatsoever had been implemented. Even the AG then, Tan Sri Gani Patail, did not hold a copy of that Report when it was released and the venue of its release was an unknown hotel in Sembulan run by Tabung Haji instead of the court or even State Assembly hall. Both copies ended up in the hands of the Chief Secretary.

I would urge that there be a RCI on 1MDB. Don’t leave it for too long to become obsolete or academic.

Joshua Y C Kong