Saifuddin: Questions about Latheefa's appointment to be expected

Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah

PUTRAJAYA: PKR central leadership council member Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah is unfazed by the many questions surrounding Latheefa Koya's appointment as the new chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Such a response is to be expected, said the Pakatan Harapan secretary-general.

It was normal for people to question the decision as they may have differing opinions about it, said Saifuddin.

“It’s normal for some people to feel uneasy about it because they may have their own opinions.

“For me, that decision was made through the proper channels,” he said.

He said Latheefa's name was brought up and was later approved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah Sultan Abdullah.

Saifuddin also said Latheefa's appointment was a government matter and not a party matter, and thus will not be discussed in party meetings.

“She has resigned from PKR and in my opinion, she fulfils all the necessary criteria.

“I hope she is able to bring a breath of fresh air to the Commission,” he said when met at the Prime Minister's Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House at Seri Perdana on Wednesday (June 5).

Latheefa’s appointment, announced on June 4, came as a surprise to many. She replaces Datuk Seri Shukri Abdull, who had quit even before his tenure was to have ended in 2020.

She has resigned as a PKR member and as the executive director of Lawyers For Liberty.

Earlier Wednesday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said it was his personal decision to appoint Latheefa the MACC chief.

He also confirmed he had not discussed the appointment with his Cabinet.

“Normally I make the decision myself because I don’t have to ask the Cabinet about who I approve.

“If she finds something against the law, she will investigate and report,” he told a press conference at the Hari Raya Aidifitri open house celebration in Seri Perdana.