Pakatan Rakyat Malaysia: Pakatan leaders question MACC’s motive over probe statement

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Pakatan leaders question MACC’s motive over probe statement - Star

Feb 22, 2009 By PRISCILLA DIELENBERG, TEH ENG HOCK and LEE YUK PENG

GEORGE TOWN: DAP chairman Karpal Singh is questioning what he described as the “unholy haste” at which the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) announced it had good and strong evidence against Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim for abuse of power.

“As MP (Bukit Gelugor), I demand to know from the chief commissioner, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan, the basis on which he made this very serious statement publicly,” said Karpal Singh.

He said it was a very serious matter for Ahmad Said to publicly announce, before a decision was made to prosecute, that the commission had good and strong evidence that Khalid misused his powers over the maintenance of his personal car and the distribution of 46 cows for slaughter in his Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency.

He would raise the matter in Parliament if he did not get a proper reply, Karpal Singh told a press conference at his legal firm in Green Hall yesterday after his statement was recorded by ASP Mohamad Ismail Jamaluddin in connection with his report lodged on Friday on receiving live bullets and a death threat through the mail.

In Petaling Jaya, Selangor Pakatan Rakyat MPs and assemblymen said the MACC had no right to make a public statement on the probe into the Selangor Mentri Besar before the Attorney-General decided whether to prosecute.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said Ahmad Said should resign because he had taken the “unprecedented step of proclaiming Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim guilty of corruption.”

Gombak MP Azmin Ali said the usual practice would be for the commission to confirm there was an investigation on an individual or company and leave the rest to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Member of Parliament for Subang R. Sivarasa said the commission had damaged its own integrity while Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said it appeared that the commission was trying to help Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo win the Umno Youth elections.