MACC chief claims then-opposition offered him a seat

MACC chief Mohd Shukri Abdull said PAS, PKR and Bersatu had offered him a seat prior to the 14th general election.

"Before the elections, there were representatives from PAS, PKR and Bersatu who asked me to be their candidate.

"I rejected it because I do not support any party. I am not a politician and I don't know how to be one. I am just a lowly fighter," he told Sinar Harian in an interview.

He said these representatives even told him that he could be a minister if they formed the federal government, but he told them that he was not interested in such positions either.

"I want to be neutral. Without bias. Let me carry out my struggle (to curb graft)," he said.

Shukri, who underwent optional retirement in 2016 after the 1MDB investigations grinded to a halt, was made MACC chief following the fall of the BN federal government on May 9.

During the interview, Shukri revealed that two other key figures in the 1MDB probe - then MACC chief Abu Kassim Mohamed and then deputy MACC chief Mustafar Ali - remained close friends.

"We had never split since the early days until now. We were from the same batch. We had the same vision. We have always advised each other and kept in touch to exchange views.

"We joined MACC together, suffered together, left together and lepak (hang out) together," he said.

Like Shukri, Abu Kassim was called back to serve. He is a member of the 1MDB task force to coordinate investigations and heads the newly established National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC). - Mkini