Pua: Guan Eng need not go on leave for bungalow probe

KUALA LUMPUR: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng need not go on leave until the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) proves he is guilty in the purchase of the RM2.8mil bungalow, says DAP publicity chief Tony Pua (pic).

Otherwise, Lim would be subjected to baseless accusations, Pua said at Parliament lobby.

"If he is made to take leave before the investigations are completed, he will be subjected to all sorts of accusations and allegations that is completely without basis.

"Then we all have to take leave from our positions. It's baseless absolutely baseless," Pua, who is Petaling Jaya Utara MP, said.

Pua said the MACC should work towards completing its investigations faster and charge Lim if necessary.

"Quickly finish the investigations. That is what we request MACC to do.

"We are not asking them to delay. The 1MDB case and the RM2.6bil case, more than year already and nothing happened.

"You think MACC can't check whatever they want to check? So within one week MACC can check and decide whether to charge or no (not to)  charge," he added.

Pua said that he was not giving the MACC a timeline but merely stating that he was willing to cooperate whenever needed.

"We are willing to cooperate tomorrow if they want. Reporters ask us if they can see the house and we take them because we have got nothing to hide," he added.

Asked why he had previously insisted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak take leave pending the 1MDB probe, Pua said it was because Najib was in a position to influence the investigations.

"In addition to being the Prime Minister, he was also the Finance minister, and is therefore in a position to influence the outcome of the investigations.

"That is why we called for him to take leave while the investigations were being done," he said.

The bungalow on Pinhorn Road became controversial after Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Shabudin Yahaya told Parliament last week that the price was undervalued.

Shabudin claimed that the bangalow, on 10,161 sq ft (943.98 sq metres) of land, was bought by Lim on Oct 25 last year for RM2.8mil, when the market value of the property was between RM6mil and RM6.5mil.