PUTRAJAYA: While there are no issues with the approval of the alleged allocation made to Pakatan Harapan assemblymen just before the dissolution of the Negri Sembilan state government, any matters of misuse can be investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abd Halim Aman said that the ruling government could introduce policies while in power as long as it did not go against the law.
“If it is true that the RM180,000 allocation was announced or given to the relevant assemblymen a day before the dissolution of the assembly, it means the government that announced the allocation was the legitimate government.
“Therefore, anything announced by that government constitutes its policy, provided it does not contravene the law or the Constitution,” he said at a press conference at the MACC headquarters on Wednesday (Sept 2).
He noted that the matter differed if the allocation was introduced by a caretaker government.
“In that case, the matter is different because there cannot be any policy by the caretaker government binding the new government,” he said
Abd Halim added that the MACC would investigate if a report was lodged and there was evidence that the allocation had been misused.
“The allocation would certainly have been given for a specific purpose. If it can be proven that the allocation was not used for its intended purpose but was instead misused, then an investigation can be conducted,” he said.
On Aug 26, 17 PH assemblymen and two DUN coordinators from the previous Negri Sembilan government were ordered to return allocations received for August and September following the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly on June 5.
