When MH370 disappeared from our skies almost two-and-a-half years ago, those following developments around the world discovered two Malaysian creatures - the inane, bumbling Malaysian politician and the polite, timid Malaysian journalist.

More than two years on, despite the criticisms, despite the brickbats both species have received, not much, evidently, has changed.

Indeed, not only are the bumbling politicians still at large but, worse, they appear to have spawned new ones in such a short space of time. Like rabbits. Like cancers.

Hence, we have seen critical parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members who, after being ‘promoted’, suddenly change their tune.

Like the former PAC chairperson who started off as an independent-minded investigator and critic, earning the respect of many non-aligned Malaysians.

But, almost overnight, after being made a deputy minister, he morphed into, at best, a church mouse, and, at worse, an apologist for the regime.

A quicker about face we would be hard-pressed to find.

His replacement in the PAC, a first-time MP from Rompin, initially “promised to continue the committee’s investigation into the troubled national sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB)”.

But this, of course, is the land of endless broken promises.

So, he is more notoriously remembered for having said he 'cari makan’ when asked if he would summon Najib Abdul Razak to be quizzed by the PAC.

He later tried to make light of his statement by saying that he had literally meant he was hungry and looking for food.

But, nobody, of course, believed him.

Especially when he also brazenly declared that the RM2.6b had nothing to do with 1MDB.

And even more so when it was later alleged by a PAC member that he had removed important statements from the final PAC report on 1MDB. An allegation he has so far not refuted.

Be that as it may, a clear pattern has emerged.

Whenever some potentially explosive news emerges, especially with regard to 1MDB, some lackey will quickly jump to the regime’s defence.

They do this by making a statement in the media or, more often, they make a police report.

Hence, over the past couple of years, we have had more wet-behind-the-ears politicians coming to the fore, evidently trying to out-stupid each other.

The common factor

Clearly, the common factor linking all their statements is their incredible stupidity, with one inane parable following another.

Unfortunately, it appears that those who are able to question, if not seriously interrogate, such idiocy (often combined with arrogance) - our journalists - never seem to do so.

The latest incident was the infamous police report lodged by Umno Youth vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun against the three retired and then-retiring top civil servants and Tan Sris.

Despite the inspector-general of police (IGP) dismissing the reports as allegedly having no basis, no action, of course, has been taken against Khairul. More recently he reiterated his comments at an Umno function.

But, his ongoing arrogance aside - and let’s remind ourselves that making false police reports is a crime - what I wish to focus on here is the responses of our ladies and gentlemen in the media.

After his police report was negated by the IGP, Khairul Azwan held a press conference.

In a fairly packed room, the media were quick to ask questions. And quicker still to retreat to the background.

To virtually every question that he was asked, Khairul simply and glibly replied, “Refer to my police report” or something equally inane yet dismissive and arrogant.

And what was evident is that the reporters (let’s not call them journalists) present were stumped by his contemptuous responses.

Nobody followed up. No one challenged him, let alone take him to task for wasting their time, calling a press conference, yet not providing any information, new insights.

Why the politeness, timidity even?

When you do this, hanging on to every word uttered by the one giving the press conference, surely you are being nothing more than a mere receptacle, an unquestioning channel for that person?

Perhaps this is a bad habit that has been cultivated by Malaysian media organisations over the years.

The habit, that is, of sending out reporters to just get press releases at these meetings, and not bother with asking questions.

The habit of these reporters, then, waiting diligently for the person conducting the press conference to provide all the information and then asking no questions.

The main aim, it would seem, is to come back to the newsroom with these releases and regurgitate them as ‘news reports’.

We have reached a time when the country is in a right mess. We have an alleged criminal kingpin, ‘Malaysian Official No 1’, who, as some have put it, remains un-named yet not unknown. We have top civil servants retired early and being harassed and threatened with prosecution.

In this environment, is it too much to ask our reporters to step up to the plate and seriously question individuals like Khairul Azwan Harun, who are, after all, mere humans... or even less?

Let us hope it isn’t.

ROM NAIN is a media analyst and academic who is weary of incompetent, unethical leaders and their apologists and spin doctors in the media who try to get away with murder while professing to rub shoulders with God’s angels.