Arya News - Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the MACC, as an important anti-graft institution in the country, must "not only be clean, they must be seen to be clean."
PETALING JAYA – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must undergo a high-level investigation into allegations of a “corporate mafia” within the agency to prove that it is “whiter than white”, says Anthony Loke.
The Transport Minister said that only such an investigation can clear the name of the MACC and that the “corporate mafia” allegations cannot be dismissed as hearsay or swept under the rug.
“They should welcome a high-level investigation to clear the name of the MACC.
“Being an important anti-graft institution in our country, they should not only be clean, they must be seen to be clean.
“They must be whiter than white.
“They must be investigated and if there are any wrongdoings, the officers must be brought to justice,” Loke told The Star in a special interview yesterday.
He reiterated that the current probe by a special committee into the MACC is insufficient, as it is limited to shareholding issues involving its chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki.
“That is very much focused and limited to one part of the allegation, which is about the shareholding of the chief commissioner. That is only one side or component of the allegation,” Loke noted.
“There should be an investigation by a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), as it is an impartial body.”
He said the more serious concern was the allegation that certain parties had exploited the agency.
“There is another part of the allegation which is more serious – that MACC is being used as a tool by certain people, certain companies or certain businessmen to extort and take over other companies.
“This is a very serious allegation because our institutions cannot be used as a tool by anyone,” he said.
Loke, who is also DAP secretary-general, added that the MACC has only one mission: to fight graft.
Meanwhile, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo also said an RCI should be formed to probe allegations of a “corporate mafia” linked to the MACC, adding that the anti-graft agency’s denial is not sufficient.
“It is a fundamental principle of justice that no one should be a judge in their own case,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Gobind, who is also DAP national chairman, said that although the MACC had dismissed the claims as baseless, a statement issued by the commission itself is not enough to restore public or investor confidence.
He added that the allegations were specific, naming individuals and companies, and referring to identifiable cases, which provided a sufficient basis for an inquiry to begin.
“The best option would be for an RCI to be formed, as it would be equipped with the necessary statutory powers to conduct a proper and meaningful inquiry into the matter,” he said.
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