What’s the status on Taib, MACC?

With Swiss MPs pushing for their government to freeze Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's assets, eyes are now on MACC's as yet undisclosed investigations.

KUCHING: Sarawak DAP today demanded to know the progress of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s investigations into Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s properties allegedly worth billions of ringgit.

State party secretary Chong Chieng Jen said it has been two years since MACC opened a file on Taib.

“But until today, I have not seen any progress of the investigation. MACC should speed up its investigation.

“In the meantime, MACC should have frozen Taib’s accounts and access to properties,” said Chong, who is the Kota Sentosa assemblyman and the MP for Bandar Kuching.

Asked to comment on Swiss MPs tabling a motion to freeze Taib’s assets, Chong said that he would defer his views until the Swiss parliament decides on the issue.

“I would not comment now, because I want to know whether the Swiss government has agreed with the motion,” he said.

According to a statement from Bruno Manser Fund, 22 MPs had on Monday tabled a motion at the Swiss Parliament seeking to freeze Taib’s assets in Switzerland following shocking disclosure of his son’s wealth by his estranged daughter-in-law Shanaz Majid in a Malaysian court during her divorce proceedings.

In the motion, the MPs described Taib as ‘having abused his public office in a spectacular way’ and referred to Shanaz’s sworn testimony as evidence of how he “illicitly” enriched himself and his family.

It is reported that Taib and his family members allegedly owned 49 companies in eight countries worth RM46.5 billion.

In Sarawak the list of 13 companies include the following:

• Cahaya Mata Sarawak (CMS) and its subsidiaries involved in the controlling of cement, construction projects, roads and roads repairs and dam construction;

• Titanium Management Sdn Bhd dealing with the construction of more than 300 bridges;

• Mornada Sdn Bhd was alienated 269 acres of prime state land at BDC Stampin;

• Sarawak Cable Sdn Bhd, Trenergy Infrastructure Sdn Bhd; and

• Ta Ann dealing with logging.