Why single out Penang, Guan Eng asks MACC chief
Lim Guan Eng, who was the Penang chief minister from 2008 to 2018, says he left an administration which had strong anti-corruption practices. (Bernama pic)
GEORGE TOWN: Lim Guan Eng today told Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki to refrain from making “unbacked claims of rife corruption” within the Penang government.
The DAP chairman and former two-term Penang chief minister said Azam was wading into politics by singling out Penang but disregarding other state governments.
Yesterday, Azam told Penang RTM’s Mutiara FM that since 2019, the MACC had received 919 complaints of Penang civil servants allegedly accepting bribes, abusing their power and making false claims.
Lim described Azam’s statement as “very unusual”.
He said it was strange for Azam to suggest that Penang civil servants had become more corrupt “since 2019”, adding that the MACC chief “must show proof”.
Lim, who was the chief minister from 2008 to 2018, said he left an administration which had “stellar anti-corruption practices”.
He said the state government was the first to receive praise from Transparency International.
He also said the auditor-general had commended the Penang government for its good work in battling corruption.
Lim also called Azam “delusional” for claiming that MACC was independent, after Azam said the anti-graft agency should not be parked under Parliament as doing so would put it under the control of politicians.
“Azam must be naïve to think the people are so gullible to believe that under him, MACC is free to investigate whoever it wants without having to ask anyone for permission,” he said.
“If that’s the case, why was only (Umno president) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi charged with corruption and not the other Umno leaders and ministers as revealed in the Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) ledger issue?” he asked.
Lim claimed that MACC had allowed itself to be used as a political weapon against opposition politicians, threatening them with cases for not supporting the government of the day.
“These cases will magically disappear when opposition MPs defect,” he said.
“No action was taken on his own shares issue. As long as Azam is there, MACC is not the solution to the problem but is now the problem.
“The only way MACC can be independent is by placing it under Parliament, not the Prime Minister’s Department.”
GEORGE TOWN: Lim Guan Eng today told Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki to refrain from making “unbacked claims of rife corruption” within the Penang government.
The DAP chairman and former two-term Penang chief minister said Azam was wading into politics by singling out Penang but disregarding other state governments.
Yesterday, Azam told Penang RTM’s Mutiara FM that since 2019, the MACC had received 919 complaints of Penang civil servants allegedly accepting bribes, abusing their power and making false claims.
Lim described Azam’s statement as “very unusual”.
He said it was strange for Azam to suggest that Penang civil servants had become more corrupt “since 2019”, adding that the MACC chief “must show proof”.
Lim, who was the chief minister from 2008 to 2018, said he left an administration which had “stellar anti-corruption practices”.
He said the state government was the first to receive praise from Transparency International.
He also said the auditor-general had commended the Penang government for its good work in battling corruption.
Lim also called Azam “delusional” for claiming that MACC was independent, after Azam said the anti-graft agency should not be parked under Parliament as doing so would put it under the control of politicians.
“Azam must be naïve to think the people are so gullible to believe that under him, MACC is free to investigate whoever it wants without having to ask anyone for permission,” he said.
“If that’s the case, why was only (Umno president) Ahmad Zahid Hamidi charged with corruption and not the other Umno leaders and ministers as revealed in the Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd (UKSB) ledger issue?” he asked.
Lim claimed that MACC had allowed itself to be used as a political weapon against opposition politicians, threatening them with cases for not supporting the government of the day.
“These cases will magically disappear when opposition MPs defect,” he said.
“No action was taken on his own shares issue. As long as Azam is there, MACC is not the solution to the problem but is now the problem.
“The only way MACC can be independent is by placing it under Parliament, not the Prime Minister’s Department.”
MACC has been politicised since forever, basically since its original form in 1967..
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