NAJIB HEATS UP FELDA ‘DRAMA’ TO STOP SETTLERS REVOLT- BUT WILL HE DARE TO CHARGE ISA SAMAD: MACC SAYS TO OPEN ‘NEW INVESTIGATION PAPER’ AFTER GETTING ‘NEW LEAD’

KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will open a new investigation paper on the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda), according to its chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad.

He said the move followed a new lead in an issue involving Felda received by the commission recently.

“I have instructed for a new investigation paper to be opened and we will issue a press statement on the matter very soon,” he told a media conference after attending the Anti Corruption Revolution Movement (Gerah) programme at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital here today.

Dzulkifli, however, said that the investigations into the alleged corruption and abuse of power at Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) were still ongoing.

The FGV management crisis reached its peak when its group president and chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Zakaria Arshad and the group chief financial officer Ahmad Tifli Mohd Talha, together with two other senior members of the management team, were suspended and given leave of absence on June 6 pending a probe of certain deals under Delima Oil Products Sdn Bhd, which is a subsidiary of FGV.

On June 7, the government appointed former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala to oversee the decision and to recommend a way forward for FGV.

On June 20, FGV announced the resignation of its chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, while the government in a separate statement announced the appointment of Tan Sri Sulaiman Mahbob as acting FGV chairman with immediate effect.

In another development, Dzulkifli said only the governments of Penang, Selangor and Kelantan had yet to take the pledge and sign the Corruption-Free Pledge (IBR) introduced by the commission early this year.

He said the signing of the IBR would show a commitment and concern of the states to ensure that their administration was free from corruption and abuse of power.

“We don’t want people to simply talk about how people should say no to bribery and ask the MACC to take action. The state governments should also play their roles and show their commitment to fight corruption and abuse of power,” he said.

On the Gerah programme, Dzulkifli said the programme, which commenced three months ago, had brought about positive impact as there was an increase in the number of reports received by the commission from members of the public.

— Bernama