Graft investigators won’t spare Parti Keadilan Rakyat members: Malaysia PM Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim told parliament on Tuesday (Feb 21) that members of his own Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will not be spared in his agenda to rid the country of corruption.

“My instruction, including at a meeting this morning with investigative bodies, is: Take action, I don’t care which party, including from my own Parti Keadilan,” he said.

“I cannot guarantee that my own party is 100 per cent clean, like how Members on the other side say they are all clean. It’s clear that’s not true.”

Mr Anwar was responding to a question by opposition Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, who asked if appointing Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister would taint his Malaysia Madani agenda, which covers effective governance.

United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) president Ahmad Zahid is facing 47 corruption charges, including alleged criminal breach of trust of RM31 million (US$7 million) belonging to a charitable foundation he leads. He is also MP for Bagan Datuk.

“No offence to Bagan Datuk, but my question is … Won’t it be logical that this appointment will influence judicial proceedings?” asked Mr Ahmad Fadhli, who is a member of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS).

Mr Anwar responded that action cannot be taken against MPs before conviction, a point he emphasised has been made clear by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in the past.

“What I have done is to tell the attorney-general and the chief judge that this country has to stand firm with principles of law. I don’t want to pass judgment before judicial proceedings that are transparent and independent,” he said.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister has carried out his duties in line with his instructions, Mr Anwar said.

He said this includes a recent case where Ahmad Zahid instructed government-linked companies under him to follow the tender process, after they raised several “immediate actions” without a tender.

“I want to reassure the Member for Pasir Mas that I have no intention of interfering in the (judicial) process, but the perception that he suggested might be correct,” Mr Anwar said.

“I can only guarantee that it won’t affect the Madani principle. If I appear to go hard on corruption or misuse of funds that takes place with proof, then I make no apologies. It is not a personal issue, even though I know I have been criticised by some people for apparently finding faults.”

Following an investigation by Malaysia’s anti-graft agency, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (Bersatu) information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan on Tuesday claimed trial against charges of accepting and soliciting bribes of almost RM7 million in relation to the government’s Jana Wibawa aid programme.

According to local media, the Tasek Gelugor MP was also charged on Tuesday with soliciting an unspecified amount for a road project worth RM232 million.

The Jana Wibawa aid programme was an economic generation project during Malaysia’s COVID-19 movement control order. It was a stimulus aid package that was meant to help Bumiputera contractors.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had also frozen Bersatu’s bank accounts as part of graft investigations, a move that opposition leaders criticise as efforts by the government to “kill” the credibility of Bersatu and the Perikatan Nasional coalition it leads.

Commenting on the charges against Wan Saiful, Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin claimed on Tuesday that his party is the victim of “selective prosecution”. 

“We actually expected that this would be done by the PH (Pakatan Harapan)-BN (Barisan Nasional) government to weaken Bersatu after seeing growing support for Perikatan Nasional,” he was quoted by local media as saying at a press conference.

The MACC has questioned Mr Muhyiddin as well as current international trade and industry minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz as part of its probe into the Jana Wibawa programme. 

On Tuesday, Mr Tengku Zafrul announced in an Instagram post that he gave his statement to the anti-graft agency on Monday evening. “I will continue to cooperate with the authorities if needed, thank you,” he said. 

Mr Anwar said in parliament on Tuesday that he wanted to get rid of corruption to show that Malaysia Madani was not “just an empty slogan”.

“I want to let the people understand that the country cannot be safe without values, manners and character. We can succeed in the economy, but fail in governance that involves corruption and abuse of power, which has become the norm,” he said.

“When I say this has become systemic, some say I am criticising Malaysia from overseas. But this is clear, no matter if we are in Jakarta or Bangkok, I will say it.

“Why should I say that Malaysia is 100 per cent clean? It will be obvious that I am lying. I talk about reality: We are struggling and trying to reform because we have a problem.”