From a powerful warlord to a man hiding his hands underneath an orange lockup jumper, Jempol MP Isa Abdul Samad's fall was not something many had expected.

Isa was once a big man in BN, having served as Negeri Sembilan menteri besar for over two decades, and had aimed for top positions in Umno, starting with a vice presidency.

He is seen to be a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who had put him in charge of Felda and later its subsidiary Felda Global Ventures (FGV), key institutions for BN's Malay rural support base...