‘Azmin is mistaken about MACC’s intentions’
JEMPOL: The Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) has denied Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali’s allegation that the anti-graft agency was “harassing and intimidating” the state government and that the probe was a deliberate plan to tarnish its image.
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad said on the contrary, it was the commission which often bore the brunt of criticisms.
“MACC is only retrieving documents to help in investigations and is not interfering with Selangor’s state affairs.
“Azmin is mistaken about MACC’s intentions.
“I would like to ask him (Azmin), which party will receive most of the brickbats? Is it the state government or MACC? Most of the time, it is the commission which receives criticism.
“His allegations are simply not true,” Dzulkifli said here yesterday after meeting villagers at Gatco estate as part of the commission’s Ziarah Kasih p r ogramme.
In Shah Alam, Selangor Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) is keeping mum on the MACC’s ongoing investigation into Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Jana Niaga Sdn Bhd.
MBI also avoided questions on the recent report lodged against Darul Ehsan Investment Group (DEIG) for alleged abuse of power and graft.
MBI chief operating officer Soffan Affendi Aminudin was coy when the media approached him on both issues at a Merdekathemed event in Dataran Kemerdekaan yesterday.
He said such questions should be directed to Azmin, who was also present, but had left early.
“I just got back from an overseas trip yesterday (Saturday). Let me get back to the office first and find out what had happened. Let’s wait for him (Azmin) to give answers,” Soffan said.
MBI, Unisel and Jana Niaga are the subject of MACC’s investigations over suspicious payments of RM16 million.
The commission conducted the raids to facilitate investigations into suspicious payments totalling RM16 million, which MBI had allegedly made to Jana Niaga in two installments — RM10 million in 2015 and RM6 million last year.
The payments were allegedly made to Jana Niaga, even though its contract to maintain the student accommodation at the campus in Bestari Jaya had been terminated by Unisel in 2012.
MACC, in a simultaneous eight-hour operation last Tuesday, raided Unisel’s main campus in Bestari Jaya and in Section 7, Jana Niaga’s offices in Desa Pandan and Bestari Jaya as well as the MBI office in Section 14 here.
Last Friday, Petaling Jaya Utara and Kelana Jaya Umno Youth urged MACC to probe how DEIG, a company set up with a RM2 paid-up capital, could be given a project worth RM10 billion to develop stateowned lands.
PJU Umno Youth chief Mohamad Fakhzan Md Noor had said DEIG was set up in early 2015 and would only start its operations the following year.
However, it was reported a month later that DEIG, through its subsidiary DEIG Land, would carry out a project worth RM10 billion with MBI.