No political pressure on MACC to investigate cases

KUALA LUMPUR: Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad (pix) said that he had never received any political pressure including directives from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak nor his cabinet members regarding investigations carried out.
He said the accusation that the MACC was purportedly influenced and had to follow orders from the national leadership was totally not true.
"The Prime Minister had never issued any directive to take action or otherwise on anyone ... there is no external pressure and no minister had ever given any pressure to help any particular individual.
"In fact, the Prime Minister had given the MACC full power to take action on anyone we feel needs to be investigated and for action to be taken ... we at the MACC will make sure whoever abuses the people will be taken to court to face the consequences," he said when replying to a question during the session on 'The Rationale To Fight Corruption' at the Millenia Empowerment Summit (MES) 2017 organised by the UMNO Foreign Students Bureau, here today.
When approached by reporters later, Dzulkifli denied that the MACC only investigated malpractices and corruption in the public sector but did not give similar attention on the private sector and the state governments.
"The MACC is not bound to investigate any one sector, it is only that the emphasis is given to the public sector because of the lack of information received from the private sector ... it is possible that the number of cases received is the same as or even more than those received from the public sector.
"That is why we hope that the public especially those concerned in the private sector to come forward to lodge complaints and channel information to enable us to take action," he said when commenting on the suggestion by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, that the MACC not only investigated the public sector, but also the private sector as well as the various state governments.
Earlier in the same session, he said the nation not only needed an act to control political funds but also an act on asset declaration to ensure that all ownership was made in a transparent manner.
He said the MACC was now undertaking a study on the Financial Disclosure Act, but it should not only be applicable to politicians, but public servants too. — Bernama