Unfair if only Mara duo taking the heat for Aussie property scandal, says Rafizi

It would be unfair if only Mara Inc's chairman and chief executive were to take the fall for the company's controversial buys of four Australian properties, which allegedly resulted in Mara wasting some RM129 million through overpayments and undeclared prices, says National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) director Rafizi Ramli. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, July 6, 2015.

It would be unfair if only Mara Inc's chairman and chief executive were to take the fall for the company's controversial buys of four Australian properties in 2012 and 2013, which allegedly resulted in Mara wasting some RM129 million through overpayments and undeclared prices, National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) director Rafizi Ramli said today.

"It is unfair to them if only the two of them were to be punished," he said, referring to the suspension of Mara Inc chairman Datuk Mohammad Lan Allani and Mara Inc CEO Datuk Abd Halim Rahim by Mara after allegations of kickbacks in the Melbourne property buys surfaced.

Instead, Rafizi said, former Mara chairman Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh should break his silence and explain his own role in the matter.

He also said that  others like the minister in charge up to the prime minister should also be held accountable for the purchases, as the PM chairs the economic council which gives the final approval for such deals.

Rafizi said that individuals such as Idris, as well as Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should all "at least apologise" for "gross negligence" instead of pinning the blame only on a couple of individuals.

"I think it's time we changed our culture of accountability -- it has to start from top-bottom, not bottom to top," he said.

"It is also incumbent on those who are in the Mara council to apologise," he added.

The Mara property scandal was first exposed by Australian paper The Age, which claimed that the trust for the advancement of Malaysian Bumiputera overpaid by RM14 million for an apartment property in Melbourne to allow for kickbacks for some Mara officials.

Since then, Rafizi and NOW have alleged that Mara also overpaid for three other properties it purchased in the same period in Australia, for a total overpaid amount of RM129 million.

Australian police are investigating the matter, while Mara is conducting its own internal probe.

- TMI