'MACC's reply on Musa Aman creates more questions'

PKR Youth today described the official reply by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that it was not investigating the RM40 million allegedly channelled to Sabah Umno creates more questions than answers.

PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (right), who is also a lawyer, has queried which provision of the law allows parties to receive large amounts of donations and how Sabah Umno could obtain such a huge amount.

He described de facto law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz’s written reply to PKR Batu MP Tian Chua as shocking and creates speculations.

“The source of the funds is questionable. Is there a possibility that the money comes from a foreign fund to help Umno defend Sabah which was previously described as BN’s ‘fixed deposit’ but has now been classified as unsafe?” he asked.
  
Shamsul Iskandar said prior to this, PKR Youth had carried out various initiatives to convince the authorities that the case be investigated fully and transparently, including the movement going to Hong Kong in 2009 to meet with the territory’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
 
“The disclosure that the case has been closed by the MACC recently frustrates and concerns us, whereas the government has pledged to curb corruption,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, it was reported that Nazri, in answering a written question, had described that there was no case on Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, as the money was channelled to Sabah Umno.

‘Reveal investigation papers’

Shamsul Iskandar said in view of the merits of the case which may involve national security, PKR Youth is challenging the attorney-general (Abdul Gani Patail) and MACC chief commissioner Abu Kasim Mohamad to reveal the investigation papers and its communications with ICAC.

PKR Youth also called on the Sabah chief minister to reveal the source of the RM40 million, if indeed it was made out of sincerity to Umno Sabah.

“The burden of proof is also on Musa to state whether this is the stand taken by the Swiss government, which has stated its intention to freeze his assets amounting to US$90 million due to allegations that the money has been smuggled,” said Shamsul Iskandar.

“The government should explain this issue quickly as in the past there has been media manipulation accusing that PKR had received foreign funds, which is clearly a slander.”

Meanwhile, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang (right) said the case would be entirely different had the money been meant for opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim or any Pakatan Rakyat parties.

“The BN leaders and its component parties at various levels would have competed day in and day out for weeks, demanding full accounting and action by the authorities, including throwing the book on corruption or money-laundering if it were to happen to Pakatan,” he said.
 
“But now as the case is on Sabah Umno, there is pin drop silence from all these sectors and no ‘natural abhorrence to corruption’ whatsoever,” he exclaimed.

Lim said Sabahans and Malaysians are entitled to ask Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak whether the case of the RM40 million dirty cash, either against Musa or Sabah Umno, is now fully closed as far as the Malaysian government is concerned.

If this is so, the Ipoh Timor MP said, this will also signal  the end of all credibility of the independence, integrity and professionalism of the MACC and Najib’s Government Transformation Programme (GTP) which prioritised  “fighting corruption”, including “grand corruption”,  as one of the key national key result areas.
 
“It is really tragic as just a week ago, Najib was taking the moral high ground at the opening of the International Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities conference, about the critical role for people and positions of power and authority to exemplify the ‘right values’ to fight corruption, and today, all the credibility and reputation of Najib’s anti-corruption campaign and of the MACC is completely in tatters.”