COMMENT | It is very common for politicians from both sides of the divide in Malaysia to lie about facts and misrepresent them to make themselves look good. But that’s not something we expect of technocrats who are brought into government and the cabinet.

We would expect that they would be a few steps above many lowly, sly, deceptive and deceitful politicians and at least make a decent attempt to give credit where it is due and not explain away bad settlements by making mistakes about facts.

This refers to an interview in The Edge by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz defending that US$3.9 billion settlement with Goldman Sachs. That was actually a cash settlement of US$2.5 billion and a guarantee of US$1.4 billion for recovery of monies of at least that much from US$6.5 billion in bonds Goldman Sachs arranged for the infamous 1Malaysia Development Bhd or 1MDB. I had criticised the deal in an earlier article.

The crucial remark that Zafrul made with respect to the deal was this...