COMMENT | It was a time when the mainstream media refused or was instructed not to publish anything on 1MDB that would put the then prime minister in a bad light.

It was a time when editors and journalists were detained for supposedly breaching that order, The Edge and its sister publication, The Edge Financial Daily had their licences suspended for three months for reporting on 1MDB.

It was a time when two men, supposed to be aligned with another former prime minister were detained under the draconian Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma) for alleged “economic sabotage”.

It was also the time which was described as the night of the long knives when the serving attorney-general and the head of the MACC were removed from their posts unceremoniously.

It was also a time when almost all instruments of the state were used to suppress the truth and the origins of the missing billions from 1MDB. Everything was said to be hunky dory in what was described as the “sovereign wealth fund”.

The gloomy events and scenarios of seven years ago were recalled when reading...