‘MACC ordered probe on Guan Eng, tycoon’

> But it did not say CM was being investigated for Mercedes purchase

GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) told the High Court here yesterday it had ordered their state office to conduct a preliminary inquiry on claims that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and business tycoon Tan Sri Tan Kok Ping may be involved in corrupt practices.

Former MACC deputy chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali testified yesterday as a defence witness in Lim and Tan’s libel suit against a news portal, telling the court that the order came after claims of such nature surfaced online.

Mustafar, who is now the Immigration Department director-general, said that he, however, could not recall the exact date the order was issued, but remembered it was decided in a high-level meeting and believed it was given priority because the claims involved a chief minister.

He also said there was a difference between the word and definition of “probe” and “investigation” in MACC terminology.

“Probe in MACC means a preliminary inquiry, and not an investigation.”

He said MACC had not specified it was investigating the purchase of a Mercedes Benz vehicle by Lim.

Lim and Tan are suing the now defunct online news portal owner FZ Sdn Bhd and its managing editor Terence Fernandez over a report entitled “MACC begins probe on Merc purchase”, uploaded on Jan 3, 2014.

Tan, a former president of the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce filed a similar suit against both respondents. Both suits are now being jointly heard. Earlier, Mustafar was asked whether he agreed Lim and Tan did not have a privileged relationship during cross examination by Tan’s counsel Christine Siew, to which he answered: “Yes I agree.”

In a previous testimony, Lim told the court in May that his relationship with Tan was normal; it was merely that of a state government with the adviser of the chamber, which is a position Tan holds.

Lim claimed the article had portrayed him to be corrupt, dishonest and of no calibre as well as untrustworthy and not fit to be a leader of Penang.

He was represented by Datuk N. Mureli while Raja Eileen Soraya Rajan Aman and Amanda Loh acted on behalf of FZ and Fernandez.