Asked in the evening of life to resume leadership, to take control and to try to find ways while many of those who could and should help are relics of one of the world’s most corrupt regimes.

In that situation the notion of a small group of trusted and honest advisers to attempt a cleansing of the Augean stables must have been an attractive notion. Especially if those to work in it have spotless reputations and no links to the former gangster regime.

The sole problem? Nothing was said about such a project before GE14. Possibly because it would have been unwise to do so but more probably that it was a post electoral gambit by one faced with a mountain of problems and a suspect civil service; to say nothing of an openly corrupt police force.

So, a perfectly understandable decision and a move that might succeed. The only problem. Power placed in the hands of a group that no one voted for and that was not part of pre-election announcements of moves to follow electoral victory.

No advisory group, however perfectly constituted, can replace executive power and is unlikely to retain public confidence however benevolently it acts and is seen to act. The solution? Make the Ministers clean their inherited houses. They will not get assistance from the PDRM which is target number one in any clean-up operations but the MACC is there and should now prove its competence and earn its funding. If, to do that, it needs more hands or money those can and should be provided.

All Malaysia knows that BN were up to their eyes in criminal activity and Malaysians expect something to be done about that. NOW. Not next year, sometime, never.

Agreed it is a vast swamp that needs draining but a start can be made now. Not sometime next year, as former judiciary figures arranged.