MACC HAS NO JURISDICTION OVER POLITICAL DONATIONS
Agency won’t probe into issue, says deputy chief commissioner
THE Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) yesterday said it has no jurisdiction over political donations. Its deputy chief commissioner (operations), Datuk Azam Baki, said this in response to a statement by DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang asking the agency to investigate claims that Lim allegedly received a RM1 billion bribe from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“Parliament has not passed any legislation that provides a guideline for political parties or politicians on political funding.
“The MACC Act 2009 does not cover offences related to money politics.
“Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan is heading the National Consultative Committee on Political Financing to look into a law on political funding,” he told the New Sunday Times yesterday.
Azam said he believed that the bill on political financing might be tabled in Parliament next year.
He was commenting on Lim’s recent blog posting, in which he had also demanded that MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Zulkifli Ahmad resign over his “failure” to discover the RM1 billion bribe that Lim allegedly received from Dr Mahathir.
Azam said the commission would not investigate the matter.
“It is not an issue of whether we know about it. The issue came out on social media, but no one has lodged a complaint.
“But, it is not an offence under our laws.
“That is why we did not open an investigation paper on that matter.” The claim was made by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin in a recent blog posting entitled “Mahathir bribed Kit Siang RM1 billion to become Pakatan’s chairman”.
Raja Petra had claimed that to earn the RM1 billion, Lim must agree to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) joining Pakatan Harapan.
Part of the deal, Raja Petra claimed, would require Lim to not reveal what he knew about the Bank Negara Malaysia foreign exchange scandal, which occurred during Dr Mahathir’s tenure as prime minister.
The alleged deal also involved Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who would supposedly be allowed to contest a “safe” parliamentary seat in the next general election.
Raja Petra had also alleged that Lim has RM750 million so far, and that the balance would be paid once Mukhriz’s candidacy was confirmed.
It was reported last month that the law to regulate political funding, dubbed the Political Donations and Expenditure Act, would not be tabled in Parliament anytime soon.
Low had said this was due to the act’s complex nature, which required extensive effort from the committee.