‘No need for MACC to vet Pakatan Harapan’s election candidates’

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan feels it is unnecessary to submit its list of candidates for the upcoming 14th General Election to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Its pro-tem president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, said instead Pakatan had its own vetting system.

“We have our own internal vetting system. But if they need it, of course we will submit (the list).

“At the moment, I’m just saying, who is MACC?” she said during a press conference at the PKR headquarters yesterday.

Wan Azizah was responding to MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad’s call for political parties to submit their candidates list to conduct background checks.

Dzulkifli had said although it was not mandatory for any political party to submit its list, Barisan Nasional had done so to ensure that none of its candidates were involved in corruption or abuse of power.

Dzulkifli had clarified that while there isn’t any legislation compelling political parties to do so, MACC, nevertheless, welcomed such moves and urged parties to also do their background checks.

MACC, Wan Azizah claimed, had its history of being “selective” in taking action, and were quicker to act when a case involved a member of the opposition.

“We have to be wary. (What) if this is just a political ploy?”