No political motive in MACC probes, says Anwar

KUALA LUMPUR: All MACC investigations into corruption cases are reviewed extensively on a case-by-case basis by the relevant agencies and are not politically motivated, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.The Prime Minister denied having any influence over any investigations into corruption cases.

“If every investigation by the MACC is regarded as politically motivated, does it mean that no one can be investigated or arrested?

“If that is so, does it mean all big corruption cases cannot be done?” he told reporters after an event in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Anwar was responding to reporters who brought up allegations by former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s supporters that the MACC’s move to arrest him was politically motivated.

Anwar stressed that the MACC was merely doing its job and that critics should not be so quick to claim that the MACC was politically motivated without looking at the evidence and the charges.

“Whether you agree or not, we must look at the case and what the pending charges and allegations are.

“For now, we do not know any details yet. We only know he (Muhyiddin) has been called in for questioning.

“We have to look into whether there is a case or not.

“That’s MACC’s job and, until now, I myself do not know where the case is going.

“Anyone who truly wants this country to be clean and free of corruption must look at each case individually, based on facts,” he added.

Muhyiddin, the Bersatu president, has been arrested and will be charged today following MACC investigations into claims that contractors deposited RM300mil into the party’s account in return for projects during his tenure as prime minister.

The projects are said to be under the Jana Wibawa programme, which was launched to help struggling bumiputra contractors during the Covid-19 pandemic.