following one death in custody is not going to get any better following revelations of its Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan published yesterday.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) strategic director Tian Chua today threatened to lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Shafie Apdal failed to explain the latter’s alleged involvement in graft practices by this week.
During a press conference on Monday, Chua (Batu-PKR) claimed that Shafie and four others had received between 15% to 20% in commission in exchange for contracts related to a rural electricity supply project in East Malaysia.
Shafie (Semporna-BN) has since denied the allegations and threatened to sue Chua if the latter was unable to prove the claims.
At a press conference in parliament’s lobby today, Chua claimed that two companies allegedly involved had obtained contracts worth RM30 million and RM80 million despite not fulfilling the ministry’s basic requirements for contractors.
“I hope Shafie can be transparent on these issues. If not, I will follow up with a MACC report,” Chua said, adding that he would forward the documents to Shafie prior to lodging the report.
Chua maintained that there was evidence of the alleged graft and said he would provide more information “in due time”.
Shafie, who is Umno vice-president, today declined to comment further on the allegations, reiterating that he would leave the matter to his lawyers.
Saying that the people’s co-operation is needed to realise the goal of a corrupt-free nation, he must have forgotten that Teoh Beng Hock, by the MACC’s own admission, was also co-operating (as opposed to being interrogated) before he fell to his death.
Comparing Teoh’s death to the so-called 10 suicides experienced by Hongkong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is a feeble attempt at covering up one’s shortcomings by belittling the very agency that the MACC boasts its template on. Moreover that this statement was made even before the coroner’s inquest into Teoh’s death is completed only strengthens the beliefs of the conspiracy theorists that a cover-up is imminent.
That a former national gymnast, who opened a can of worms on graft concerning an individual from the National Sports Council was questioned for over six hours with minimal breaks until this journalist intervened, does little to convince the people that whistleblowers will be protected.
There is nothing to show so far that the various independent MACC panels comprising people from outside the commission have done or can do enough to ensure that informants are not treated as criminals.
That Ahmad Said could say that the MACC has no choice but to remain silent in the face of criticisms because speaking out would jeopardise ongoing investigations is nothing short of laughable. Was it not he who put the cart before the horse and announced to the media that there was evidence against Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim over the cows and car issue? And until now, there has been not as much as a sigh on all the reports against Abdul Khalid’s predecessor.
So before the MACC attempts another disastrous PR exercise, I suggest it gets its act together and stop playing tai-chi with all the criticisms coming its way.
It is not enough for it to be doing its job without fear or favour but it must also be seen to be doing as such!
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