PUTRAJAYA – Action will be taken against any individuals, be it the prime minister or a minister, if they misappropriate public funds, said Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
“Whether you are the prime minister, finance minister or a minister, remember if you steal the country’s money or you cart away the country’s wealth, we have to take stern action (against you) to save the country,” he said while launching the national Central Database Hub on Jan 2, The Star newspaper reported.
Datuk Seri Anwar lauded the anti-graft agency, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), for acting against those who were found to be corrupt, regardless of their position and status.
“We have shown our determination, which rarely happens in most countries, what more developing countries. (We have taken) action against leaders who were deemed as free from any form of action or investigation,” he added.
MACC said on Dec 30 that it was investigating Tun Daim Zainuddin, a former finance minister and key ally of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, under the country’s abuse of power and money laundering laws.
It said it had seized Ilham Tower, a 60-storey building in Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, as part of its investigation into Mr Daim.
Mr Daim, 85, denied all wrongdoing in a statement on Dec 28 and said that he was not informed of what offence he had allegedly committed despite repeated queries to the commission.
On Dec 23, Mr Anwar had said the MACC should be allowed to probe anyone, including Tuns and Tan Sris, regardless of their position. Otherwise, the commission would be criticised for allegedly targeting only “small fish” over corruption offences, he added.
During the Jan 2 event, Mr Anwar also touched on talk of an alleged attempt to unseat him, The Star reported.
On Dec 30, Community Communications Department deputy director-general Ismail Yusop claimed that the plot was organised by Perikatan Nasional leaders and government backbenchers who were on vacation in the United Arab Emirates.
According to Datuk Ismail, a meeting occurred during the visit to assign specific tasks to “agents” responsible for identifying MPs who might want to switch their support to the opposition.
The alleged meeting has been referred to as the Dubai Move.
Mr Anwar said: “I read about the Dubai Move, but we will focus on work. That is their (the Opposition’s) work, but it does not impact us, and what is important is that we have started an important programme for the people on Jan 2.”
“Our focus is to develop the country and the people,” he added.
At the event, Mr Anwar also lauded the police on the action taken against drug trafficking.
He said that in the past, there have been stories of “sharks” who have been escaping action.
“Now our focus will be on the sharks so that it will be a reminder to the small fish,” he said.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said on Dec 9 that the police were shifting their investigations to crack down on drug-ring leaders apart from drug dealing.
