MACC: Leave us out of this

Azam: Any speculation as to why the MP had made the statement should not be linked to us.

PUTRAJAYA: Allegations that the anti-corruption agency was involved in an Opposition lawmaker’s declaration of support for the Prime Minister was done to question its integrity, says Tan Sri Azam Baki.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, who denied the allegation, said the MACC had no involvement in the support declared by Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid.

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Iskandar Dzulkarnain, 46, is a lawmaker with Perikatan Nasional, having won the Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election last year.

In the spotlight: Iskandar stated his support for the PM’s economic policies in exchange for funds.

“The statement by the Opposition leader alleging that we had had a hand in the MP’s decision is ill-intended and is an attempt to tarnish the MACC’s image.

“The fact is, we had nothing to do with the statement he made,” said Azam when contacted.

The top graft-buster said any attempts to relate the commission with the statement made by the lawmaker should stop.

ALSO READ: Perikatan Nasional’s MP supports PM’s economic policies

“Any speculation as to why the MP had made the statement should not be linked to us. As I have said, we have nothing to do with this matter,” he added.

Azam said this in response to claims by Perikatan secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin that Iskandar Dzulkarnain was pressured by the government into supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership.

The Opposition Leader alleged that intimidation and threats were used against the Kuala Kangsar MP to secure his support for the government to regain its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

Hamzah further claimed that Iskandar Dzulkarnain was brought to meet a top officer of the MACC at a hotel in Damansara on Oct 1, and was threatened with corruption charges if he refused to sign a media statement stating his support for the government.

On Thursday, Iskandar Dzulkarnain stated his support for the Prime Minister’s economic policies in exchange for extra constituency funds.

He, however, stressed that he remains loyal to his party, Bersatu.

Attempts are ongoing to get the lawmaker to comment on the allegations.