Posted on by Kit

Why can’t MACC re-open investigations into the scandal of the RM40 million “political donation to Sabah Umno” in the light of new evidence instead of asking the AG to review his decision on the case?

The PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli returned from his second trip to Hong Kong and meeting with its Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) with the news that the possibility is high that Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman could be charged with money laundering by the Hong Kong authorities following the submission of “new evidence” related to Musa’s alleged logging commissions.

Last week, it was disclosed that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) Operations Review Panel had requested the Attorney-General to review its decision on the RM40 million allegedly channeled from timber trader Michael Chia to Musa.

The question is why the MACC could not act independently and professionally, and on its own re-open investigations into the scandal of the RM40 million “political donation to Sabah Umno” in the light of “new evidence”, especially with many questions left answered, including:

Whether the RM40 million cash in Singapore currency, which Sabah timber trader Michael Chia had in his luggage before boarding a flight to Kuala Lumpur at the Hong Kong International Airport on August 14, 2008 and was impounded by the Hong Kong for three years but which had to be released when the Malaysian authorities refused to co-operate with ICAC on the case, was “dirty money” derived from corruption and/or illegal logging activities in Sabah which had to be smuggled or laundered back into Malaysia.

There are many unanswered questions about the scandal of the RM40 million “political donation to Sabah Umno” – in particular whether it was the MACC or the Attorney-General’s Chambers which told ICAC that the RM40 million was a political donation to Sabah UMNO and caused the ICAC to close the case and release the RM40 million.

What evidence is there for MACC or the Attorney-General’s Chambers to conclude that the RM40 million cash were not timber kickbacks for the Sabah Chief Minister but was a legitimate political donation to Sabah Umno?

So long as the Malaysian public are kept in the dark as to whether it was the MACC or the AG’s Chambers which had been responsible for exonerating Michael Chia and Musa and the release of the RM40 million after being impounded by the Hong Kong authorities for three years, Malaysians cannot be blamed for their scepticism and lack of confidence both in the MACC and the AG’s Chambers as far as combatting “grand corruption” involving top BN leaders are concerned.

There are also concerns about the role of the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who hails from Sabah and is said to be related to Musa’s family, and whether he had been guilty of conflict-of-interest and therefore abuse of power and corruption if he had played any role in clearing Musa and the release of the RM40 million cash impounded in Hong Kong for three years as “political donation to Sabah UMNO”.

The MACC will never be able to hold its head high in international anti-corruption circles if ICAC re-opens investigations into the case, which the MACC and the AG’s Chambers had been responsible for keeping closed.

12 Replies to “Why can’t MACC re-open investigations into the scandal of the RM40 million “political donation to Sabah Umno” in the light of new evidence instead of asking the AG to review his decision on the case?”

  1. Truth be told our MACC & AG are mere UMNO’s stooges/lap dogs. They are there to cover up UMNO’s dirts and to ruthlessly punish/silent the oppositions (eg. Teoh Beng Hock & etc etc).The only solution is a change of federal government to allow proper law & order to rule our land.

  2. MACC can not do this! their have broken their back! Abu Kassim confirmed MACC suffer back pain, in fact has torn apart.

    Shielding too many bullets fired on corruption cases with their back, almost broke their back.

    More importantly the burden carried by them, in-competencies, non-independent and recently downgrade to conduct ‘corruption’ classes to PM, Ministers and MPs. Has ultimately broken their back apart.

    They have lose any position, moral ground, respect and self-respect, confident, self-confident to stay and operate as an ‘Anti-Corruption Commission’.

    Rest in peace MACC! better conduct classes that you can handle than investigating into proof that you can’t.

  3. As I have said before, we have an institution which protects high-profile figures who committed grand corruption. Malaysians will not see light in the tunnel in the fight against corruption provided there is a change of government.

  4. While its still relevant to get to the exact bottom of the RM40m, Malaysian in general are used to these cases never going anywhere or just stopped. The truth is most Malaysian expect the opposition to do the heavy lifting to get it to the final end of the case, not any UMNO/BN govt arm..

    What most Malaysian are more curious about really is, given they know what the money likely is and come from, is wondering what UMNO delegates to the recent conference mean when they say RM40m is “a small dot”?? If RM40m is a pittance, Sabahan in particular want to know HOW MUCH REALLY IS SUCH MONEY they have lost all these year and just for the coming GE?

    Really the question MACC should be answering..How much all these years?

  7. Ordinary folks means nothing to these people.
    No one can understand how they think.
    I guess they do feel there is a war between Patriots & Traitors and Najib is the Patriot they must protect at all cost.
    They think Umno b pays for their salaries.
    Above everything else….they do believe Umno b is chosen by God to govern forever and they need to be loyal to Najib to have cozy jobs.
    Maybe…. maybe they think like that la…or else we can call them weird fellas which are handpicked by Najib too.

  9. Perkasa Ibrahim Ali says that Muslims are disadvantaged because they cannot earn $$$ from gambling, seedy entertainment, prostitution etc.

    Hello, I consider myself blessed and not disadvantaged because I don’t have to scr**w for my $$$ or cheat to earn a living or steal from government tills meant for the Rakyat. And I don’t ask for government favours or affirmative action simply because I don’t take $$ from prostitutes or gambling dens.

    Now I know why Ibrahim Ali is so low class. Tok kok also cannot get it right.

  10. For a big case like the RM40 million so called “political donation”, the MACC and the AG really have to look at the countenance of their political masters before taking any action. With the possibility of the next general election being called any time, there is more reason for the MACC and the AG to procrastinate, unless of course pressure begins to build up.

  11. Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim will have to resign many times over if his pledge of “without fear or favour” is to be taken in its full context. The MACC is liken to a toothless tiger, a waste of the taxpayer’s money.

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