Phang: Nazri's comments on MACC below the belt

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz has been described as being a bully for branding Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy commissioner Mohd Shukri Abdull as weak.

Describing Nazri’s comments as “hitting below the belt”, former MACC adviser Robert Phang said the anti graft body is supposed to be independent.

“Do not hit below the belt of the officers as they do not have the recourse to rebut. Stop being a bully. Shukri is ‘strong and brave’ to expose attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail’s reluctance to prosecute the many MACC cases it investigated, including those involving holders of high public office. Shukri should not be discouraged or intimidated by Nazri’s bullying ways,” he said.

Instead, Phang said in a statement, Shukri must not be disheartened, and ask the MACC to investigate Nazri’s assets to determine whether his income can support his and his son’s lavish lifestyle.

On Sunday, Nazri was quoted in the Chinese papers as describing Shukri as having a weak characterwho should stop complaining about cases being rejected by the AG’s Chambers.

Shukri had on March 29, said the graft commission had accusedthe Attorney-General’s Chambers of refusing to charge people as had been recommended by the MACC. Nazri’s son and his bodyguard are embroiled in a police investigation over an alleged affray with a security guard of a condominium.

Phang asked why was Nazri defending the AG and attacking the MACC.

“Well, if Shukri is weak, then the AG is most definitely lame if he requires Nazri to defend him. This is again a classic example of interference by the executive in the affairs of the MACC.

“The AG has been cited for alleged corrupt practices and breach of ethics umpteen times and no one has dared to act on him. How powerful can the AG be?” he asked.

‘Nazri a disgrace’

He also sarcastically pointed out that Nazri’s explanation that corruption charges would cause great shame to the accused and hence, the AGC must act diligently and charge the accused in court only if there is concrete evidence, and asked whether this included ex-Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Ramli Yusuff and his men.

“Nazri’s attitude is a disgrace to the Prime Minister’s Department by using threats against senior civil servants who have the courage to act, especially against graft by those holding public office,” he said, adding that Nazri has also defended the alleged collusion between former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan and Abdul Gani regarding the apparent influence over Musa by an underworld figure.

Ramli had since Feb 29 alleged that Musa, Abdul Gani and the MACC were used to fix him and his men in their investigations over the former IGP’s involvement with an underworld figure, identified as Goh Cheng Poh or Tengku Goh.