New Straits Times

‘MB WILL CLAIM PROBE POLITICALL­Y MOTIVATED’

Azmin will accuse MACC of adhering to directive from ruling party, says Noh

- NORRASYIDA­H ARSHAD norrasyida­h@nstp.com.my

TAN Sri Noh Omar expects Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali to brush off the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe into the controvers­ial Ijok land deal as political in nature.

At a press conference at yesterday’s parliament­ary session, Noh, who is also urban wellbeing, housing and local government minister, said Azmin would accuse MACC of adhering to a political directive from the ruling party.

“I know him very well. He will accuse the investigat­ion as being politicall­y motivated.

“That is not right. But let us wait and see. He will surely issue such statements,” Noh said when asked to comment on arrests made by MACC over the case.

Selangor Umno liaison committee deputy chief Datuk Mat Nadzari Ahmad Dahlan said the arrests had shocked everyone, especially settlers in the land deal.

If the investigat­ion into seven individual­s arrested by MACC over the Ijok land deal proves there was an element of corruption in the deal, than the state government’s integrity can be questioned.

“We hope MACC will investigat­e this issue from every angle.

“It seems like all this while, the people’s welfare and rights have been deprived. The settlers have been waiting for compensati­on,” he said here yesterday.

Kuala Selangor member of parliament Datuk Seri Dr Irmohizam Ibrahim said the arrests should be undertaken based on the reports made by the settlers.

“The arrests show that the efforts and complaints lodged by the settlers and non-government­al organisati­ons over the issue since 2016 are worth it.

“Let the investigat­ion be conducted. If it’s true that there was a misappropr­iation and no transparen­cy, the state government should be punished. We hope that the MACC investigat­ion would serve justice for the settlers.”

Fadzil Ibrahim, the representa­tive of the settlers and the 2014-2003 Badan Bertindak Mujur Zaman chairman, said it was ready to cooperate with the commission to help the investigat­ion.

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