‘If innocent, why run away?’

NIBONG TEBAL: Perikatan Nasional leaders and those linked to them who are currently under graft probes should not run but stay and fight their case, says the Prime Minister.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Pakatan Harapan chairman, said this includes the son-in-law of Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“If he (Muhyiddin’s son-in-law) is innocent, why run away? If you did nothing wrong, fight your case,” he said in his speech during a meet-the-people session with the Sungai Bakap folk here yesterday.

On Monday, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) issued a statement that it was seeking Adlan Berhan, who is Muhyiddin’s son-in-law, and lawyer Mansoor Saat.

It urged them to come forward to assist in the probe into a ministry project involving the registration, recruitment and storage of foreign workers’ biometric data.

The MACC said based on checks with the Immigration Department, the two men left the country on May 17 and 21 respectively, and there was no record of their return.

It also said that various efforts had been made to contact the duo as well as their lawyers, but they had failed to present themselves at the MACC office.

Anwar said those under probe would have to go through due process.

“If there is any evidence, the probe will continue and there will be charges. If he is innocent, he shouldn’t run away. This is not a good example,” he added.

He also said Perikatan could no longer claim that it is “clean” following several graft probes into its leaders.

“So, the issue of Perikatan being clean cannot be used (in election campaigns),” he said.

On Monday night, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil had challenged Muhyiddin, a former prime minister, to come forward and assist the anti-graft agency over his son-in-law’s whereabouts.

“If he’s not at fault, why go missing? He should show up,” Fahmi said at a ceramah in Meru here. “Muhyiddin has to answer as to where his son-in-law is. We ask that he answers this.”

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin, when met by reporters at an event in Shah Alam yesterday, declined to comment on the matter.