LETTER | While convicted former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has every right to make a public apology for the 1MDB scandal, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim should have not made any comments on the apology.

Anwar should make it crystal clear on his take, whether his "acceptance" of the apology is on a personal basis or as the prime minister who governs the nation.

Anwar must keep in mind that each of his public statements can reflect the sentiment and stand of the Madani government, and there are repercussions.

Najib’s apology is on two fronts - that he regrets deeply the 1MDB scandal and that he was a victim of a scam that robbed Malaysians of billions of ringgits.

Now, why should Anwar even want to comment on this specific apology when the highest courts in the country have already found Najib guilty of a crime in a related case to 1MDB?

There are still pending cases related to 1MDB in the courts and Najib could be found guilty or otherwise.

Regardless of the outcome, shouldn’t Anwar be more prudent, as the leader of the country, in commenting about a high-profile case?

Rakyat still paying for it

The rakyat has not forgotten the 1MDB fiasco. It made history internationally and the taxpayers are being squeezed to pay off the debts.

It is indeed sad that the very forces like DAP, PKR, and Amanah which won in the 2018 general election with a united, critical, and vocal voice using the 1MDB issues against Najib and Umno are today being "grayish" towards the entire issue.

While some diehard supporters within the Madani government and general public will defend Anwar’s acceptance of Najib’s apology, they should rethink the "robbery" that denied good monies that could have helped the needy.

Eventually, this 1MDB fiasco and apology acceptance could well turn out to be the most lethal double-edged sword.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.