MACC to quiz Penang government leaders

Next on the radar of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are several Penang executive council members and the chief minister.

Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy said he is due to have his statement taken at 9.30am today.

“They are also visiting the Chief Minister’s Office, the Deputy Chief Minister I and Zairil,” he said yesterday.

Zairil Khir Johari is the Public Works, Utilities and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman while Deputy Chief Minister I is Datuk Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abdul Rahman.

It is believed that MACC is looking into the Penang Undersea Tunnel project, but Ramasamy said he was not told what new angle the investigators want to ask about.

“Of course, I welcome them. We practise an open door policy. I am ready to assist MACC in any way they need. Also important is that they investigate people who have stolen billions,” he said.

Ramasamy told reporters yesterday that MACC had taken his statement in 2018 on “political donations”.

“The matter was laid to rest after that. Now with the new government, they would like to look at it again.

“I have told them I am not involved in the tunnel project because that is not my portfolio.

“If they ask me for detailed information, I would have to say I don’t know about that. It’s not under my portfolio,” he said.

In the state exco, Ramasamy is in charge of state Economic Planning, Education, Human Capital Development, and Science, Technology and Innovation.

On Wednesday, former Penang Port Commission chairman Jeffrey Chew, who was also former aide to previous chief minister Lim Guan Eng, was remanded for four days to assist in MACC investigations into the tunnel project.

He was arrested after turning up at the state MACC headquarters to give a statement the day before.

MACC sources revealed that the commission reopened investigation papers into the project following fresh leads.