KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) lawmakers are urging the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led government to fulfil its election promise to give Parliament greater oversight of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
They said this is particularly crucial to ensure the anti-graft body is independent from any political interference.
Addressing the Dewan Rakyat, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (Arau-PN) noted that the calls for MACC to be more independent were indeed made by PH leaders themselves when they were in the opposition.
“So, do it now, why is it still not under Parliament?” he said when debating the budget for the Prime Minister’s Department at the committee stage today.
“When MACC is placed under Parliament, this will ensure the agency is not tied to any parties. Yes, they are not tied now either, but the perception is they are, because they are under the Prime Minister’s Department.”
Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PN), meanwhile, reminded PH of its election manifesto vowing that if it won federal power, the position of the MACC chief would be vetted by a bipartisan parliamentary select committee (PSC).
The PAS Youth chief said this is critical to ensure any prosecution done by the agency is not motivated by politics.
“We would like to know what’s the roadmap to achieve this promise which was included in PH’s manifesto, that the nomination of the MACC chief commissioner should go through the PSC.
“To date, we have not seen any such roadmap that would ensure charges made by the MACC are not politically motivated,” he said.
“Old cases are being ignored, but newer cases are being probed at such a fast pace. They are fast-tracked to be charged in court, despite other cases being mentioned (by PH) before the general election now appear to be swept under the rug.”
Shahidan and Fadhli’s comments today come on the back of corruption charges being levelled against several PN leaders, including coalition chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, was charged with four counts of soliciting bribes amounting to RM232.5 million and two counts of money laundering involving the Jana Wibawa initiative last Friday.
Today, the Pagoh MP was slapped with another money laundering charge in Shah Alam.
For the record, the current MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki was appointed to the top post on March 9, 2020 by Muhyiddin, who had then just took over the federal administration as the country’s eighth prime minister.
He replaced Latheefa Koya, who was previously appointed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s PH administration.
Prior to the 15th general election, PH had pledged in its manifesto that the appointment of the MACC chief commissioner, as well as other key positions like the inspector-general of police and public prosecutor, would go through a bipartisan PSC. – The Vibes, March 13, 2023
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