On Monday, July 27 last month, the former third-highest ranking policeman in the nation, former Commercial Crime Investigation Department Director Datuk Ramli Yussoff was acquitted by the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court on a charge of corruptly misusing his position in having used a police Cessna Caravan aircraft in June 2007 to survey two plots of land in Lahad Datuk unrelated to his official duties.
If convicted, Ramli is liable to be jailed between 14 days and 20 years and fined a minimum of RM10,000.
The very next day, officials from the Deputy Public Prosecutors office in Kota Kinabalu filed notice of appeal in the High Court against the ruling of the Sessions Court judge Supang Lian that Ramli had no case to answer as the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against him.
I want to ask the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) why it is practicing double standards as it has not even started investigations into the allegation that Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin had corruptly misused his position in having used RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Umno division meetings in Sabah last weekend totally unrelated to his official duties.
This came to light when Muhyiddin was involved in an emergency forced landing of a RMAF Nuri helicopter in Tuaran due to bad weather when flying between Kudat and Penampang.
As reported by Star online last Sunday 16th August 2009, Muhyiddin’s entourage took off at about 1.45pm Sunday on the RMAF Nuri from Kudat after officially opening the Umno division meeting there and were heading back to Kota Kinabalu for the Penampang Umno division meeting when the forced landing took place.
If Ramli is indicted for corruptly misusing a police Cessna Caravan aircraft for a purpose totally unrelated to his police duties, why is Muhyiddin spared for similarly misusing a RMAF Nuri helicopter for a purpose totally related to his DPM or even Education Minister’s duties?
Is there one law for the Umno Cabinet Ministers and another law for ordinary people, especially those whom the MACC’s masters in the Umno/Barisan Nasional government want to persecute and victimize?
In the case of Muhyiddin’s abuse of his position in using RMAF Nuri helicopter for Umno party purposes, an official report had already been lodged.
MACC should explain why it has not started investigations into the corrupt practice of DPM Muhyiddin using RMAF Nuri helicopter to officiate Umno division meetings in Sabah last weekend totally unrelated to his official duties.
[Speech at the Pakatan Rakyat Permatang Pasir by-election ceramah at Kg Cross Street, Bukit Mertajam on Friday, 21st August 2009 at 10 pm]