MACC targets Tony Pua for raising the alarm on RM6bil boats

In a clear sign of malice and intimidation, the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission has sent out feelers that it is considering pulling in DAP MP for PJ Utara Tony Pua because he had accused Prime Minister Najib Razak's federal government of proposing to buy 6 Littoral Combat ships at a cost far higher than existing market valuation.

National news agency Bernama reported an un-named MACC source as saying the commission was waiting for Tony to explain how he arrived at such a conclusion.

"We require clear and basic facts to investigate any allegation, including from Tony Pua," the MACC source told Bernama.

"The commission cannot carry out an investigation based on wild allegations," the source added.

Bernama also reported that if Tony "did not come forward, the commission would get in touch with him to get 'valid facts' to start investigations".

Penalized for sounding the alarm

Tony had written in his blog that the RM6bil approved by the government to buy 6 vessels was 870 per cent more than what other countries paid for similar vessels.

But Navy chief Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar claimed that the ships to be built by Boustead Naval Shipyard in collaboration with six leading foreign shipyards would be far superior to the offshore patrol ships that RMN now used.

BN-friendly MP for Bayan Baru Zahrain Hashim also challenged Tony to lodge a complaint with the MACC instead of "making a lot of noise about it in an irresponsible way on the Internet".

However, Tony's Pakatan colleagues came to his defence. They condemned the BN government and the MACC for trying to silence him over a deal that reeked of massive corruption.

The boats were ordered without open tender and the huge cost has angered taxpayers, who are increasingly worried about the way Najib was splurging on big-ticket items while they suffered from round after round of subsidy cuts and price hikes.

"We are thoroughly disgusted by such behavior that I think only BN and Umno are capable of. Tony is an MP and it is his duty to raise a hue and cry when he sees what he believes are improper pricing at taxpayers' expense. To try and penalize him is spiteful and wrong, it will boomerang," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle. - Malaysia Chronicle