KUALA LUMPUR – A determination of “No Further Action” (NFA) has been issued after an investigation into allegations by Sekijang MP Natrah Ismail of PKR that she was lured to defect was completed.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the investigation papers were handed to the prosecutors and they determined that no criminal acts were involved.
The anti-graft body told The Star that investigations found RM10 million, which she alleged was offered to her, had not been.
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki was quoted as saying: “The (investigation) file was submitted to deputy public prosecutors and they had perused it. They came to the conclusion there is no criminal act in this case. It is NFA.”
He added that an investigation was initiated after she lodged a report with the MACC, alleging that she was offered RM10 million if she defected.
“After investigating the matter, we have determined that no RM10 million was offered to her. I want to make this clear because that (the money) is the main issue. There is no such thing as the money being offered to her.”
It was reported that statements of four individuals, including Natrah, had been recorded by Johor MACC.
On Tuesday, PKR president and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim named five party lawmakers who had been threatened or enticed with rewards to defect and join the Perikatan Nasional government.
They were Natrah, S. Kesavan (Sg Siput), Awang Husaini Sahari (Putatan), M. Karuppaiya (Padang Serai) and Michael Teo (Miri).
Anwar had said he received multiple complaints from some of his party’s lawmakers regarding the pressure being laid against them to twist their arm into jumping ship.
On March 4, Natrah had said in a statement that she was approached by two individuals with Datuk Seri titles a day before, enticing her to switch camps to support Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“I told them I wasn’t interested and rejected their offer. For me, there is no benefit in turning away from the reformasi struggle and breaking the oath I took when I became an MP.”
She said she had reported the matter to PKR leadership. “I believe that there are attempts to offer gifts and positions, or to urge and threaten Keadilan and opposition MPs.”
Natrah lodged a report with the MACC on March 7 regarding an alleged attempt.
She said that the report was lodged under Section 25 of the MACC Act 2009 in connection with the duty to report any attempt of bribery.
On March 9, the MACC said it had opened an investigation paper into Natrah’s allegations.
Johor MACC director Datuk Azmi Alias said several witnesses had been identified.
“MACC opened an investigation paper to confirm a complaint on a RM10 million bribery offer involving the Sekijang MP to switch parties, as reported on the Ops Johor Facebook page.
“Several witnesses have been identified and the action of tracing (witnesses) and recording statements is ongoing,” he had said. – The Vibes, March 18, 2021
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