KUALA LUMPUR – Amid questions surrounding the integrity of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and its chief Tan Sri Azam Baki, the commission is set to charge Sg Buloh MP Sivarasa Rasiah’s nephew, tomorrow, on charges of corruption.
In a statement, today, Sivarasa said his nephew and service centre manager Naveen K. Rasiah had been summoned to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions court in what he described as a personal vendetta against him by the MACC.
Sivarasa had brought up the controversy behind Azam’s shares ownership in the Dewan Rakyat on December 14.
The PKR lawmaker also cited a similar instance in 2017, after he had raised the issue involving a Bangladeshi businessman named Monomiah Siddikur Rahman who obtained under the table permits for Bangladeshi workers by using forged documents.
Suddenly on September 21, 2017, three of my service centre staff including Naveen, Joshua Kalaisevan and Nico Kam were arrested by the MACC, remanded for four days and investigated for an alleged offence that they were trying to solicit money from Monomiah in return for dropping the issue.
“I state for the record that this allegation is completely false, malicious and without any basis,” he said.
Explaining further, Sivarasa said no charges were brought upon any of his staff, which would have been impossible if there was concrete evidence of any misconduct.
“I am sure that if any evidence of wrongdoing on the part of Naveen or the others had been found, the MACC would have charged immediately.”
It seems that history has repeated itself as Naveen has been charged once again, with allegedly no basis, after four years.
Sivarasa stressed that he wholeheartedly stands by Naveen and his integrity and believes that MACC has put a target on his back for speaking out.
The action by MACC reeks of a personal vendetta intended to try to tarnish the image of my service centre.
“This reprisal action by MACC will only serve to further damage its reputation as it will be seen as being motivated by personal factors and ulterior motives.
“If MACC thinks this will make me or my colleagues in Parliament back off on this issue, they are completely mistaken,” he added.
Yesterday, Malaysians took to the streets to protest for action against Tan Sri Azam Baki after the MACC chief was caught in controversy surrounding his ownership of shares in two public-listed companies.
The #TangkapAzamBaki rally was held at the Bangsar LRT station after the police had obtained a court order that prohibited assemblies at Dataran Merdeka, Sogo shopping mall and Masjid Jamek. – The Vibes, January 23, 2022
