‘Tackling corruption is Pakatan’s best feat’

PUTRAJAYA: Pakatan Harapan’s biggest success as a government is being able to tackle corruption, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The Prime Minister said other countries also acknowledged the achievement, adding that foreigners were no longer labelling Malaysia a kleptocracy. “Combating corruption has been our main priority, and we have succeeded in this. We have passed new laws to tackle corruption and set up new agencies.

“Based on reports, big corruption cases have disappeared. The prime minister has not stolen money, as far as the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) is concerned, so on this, we have succeeded. But even small corrupt cases have been tackled...the practice is no longer there. Other countries even come to us to learn.

“We were even asked to speak in Vienna to share our experience in fighting corruption, ” Dr Mahathir told a press conference after chairing a meeting with the special committee on government pledges.

He said after Pakatan administered the government for a year and a half, most people would agree that it was better than the previous Barisan Nasional government.

Dr Mahathir said it was amazing that Pakatan, despite consisting of political parties with vastly differing views, still managed to remain as a coalition.

On another matter, he said he would not entertain calls by the opposition to sack Attorney General Tommy Thomas.

“I am not in the business of firing people. Sometimes people make mistakes. I also would like to sack some of the opposition members because they make a lot of mistakes, but we have the rule of law. So we obey the rule of law, ” he added.

Opposition MPs had asked Dr Mahathir to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dismiss the AG, following what they claimed was a spate of alleged “interventions” in court decisions.

The latest was when the Opposition cried foul over was the court’s decision to drop two terrorism-related charges against Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaran, over alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Meanwhile, Thomas explained yesterday that the charges against Gunasekaran were dropped as he was already facing similar charges, where he could face life imprisonment upon conviction.

“So there is no need for an overkill. It is therefore a lie to claim that all charges against Gunasekaran were dropped, ” he was reported as telling a news portal.