Four shortlisted for MACC top post

PETALING JAYA: Top graft-buster Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull who retired from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) two years ago is among four candidates handpicked by the new Pakatan Harapan government to helm the commission.
Mohd Shukri, 58, who was MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) and went on retirement in 2016 is expected to be recalled to fill the top post if his appointment is finalised by the end of the week.
Sources revealed that the other three who were shortlisted are top brass MACC officers who are currently on secondment with other government enforcement agencies as director-general.
Two of them were identified as Immigration Department director-general Datuk Mustafar Ali and Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Khalid.
On Monday, all four were summoned for a meeting with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad where issues on countering corruption in the country was discussed.
It is learnt that their names will soon be submitted to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong by Mahathir to finalise the candidate of choice for the position of chief commissioner which was left vacant on Monday after former MACC boss Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad stepped down.
Mohd Shukri, who is known to be a strict and no-nonsense graft-buster had in 2015 headed investigations on the financial scandal of SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of the controversial state-owned investment company 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and later a probe on the RM2.6 billion donation paid to the personal accounts of ex-Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Abdul Razak.
In an emotional speech on his retirement day, Mohd Shukri had expressed his exasperation in the "unpleasant" turn of events during the course of investigating the cases including accusations by certain quarters who alleged that the top brass of the MACC was on a drive to topple the then Barisan Nasional government.
Shukri had reminded his personnel to stick to their course when fighting corruption and not be intimidated by threats or slanderous comments made against them.