MACC’s outgoing top prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin has downplayed his impending transfer to a new post amid questions about the motives behind the move.
At MACC’s podcast this morning, he said such transfers are the norm for civil servants, and mused that perhaps the attorney-general, who ordered the transfer, wanted him to have a change of scenery after nearly seven years serving as MACC’s Legal and Prosecution Division director.
Shaharuddin (above) also emphasised that his new post as deputy head II at the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) Prosecution and Appeals Division, beginning March 2, is not a demotion.
“MACC is in my heart, but such is the lot of humans and government (officers). Am I demoted? No, but the post is different.
“As (Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar) explained, this is a normal process of rotation. I have been here (at MACC) for nearly seven years; maybe he wants me to have a change of scenery.
“The AG’s intentions are good and noble. He did not do this just for me, but for others as well,” he said during the MACCFM programme.
Wan Shaharuddin’s transfer was announced in a circular dated Feb 24.
Brickbats from Pejuang
A day later, Pejuang information chief Rafique Rashid Ali urged Dusuki to explain the transfer, noting that it came at a time when MACC is coming under heightened public scrutiny.
“At this time, MACC needs officers who are committed to the rule of law and the sovereignty of the law.
“Yes, the discretion lies with the AG regarding transfers, but MACC must have credible officers so that the public can continue to trust this agency.
“A transfer of this nature requires an explanation!” Rafique said in a statement, while praising Shaharuddin as an experienced prosecutor who is respected by colleagues and opponents alike.
Dusuki later assured that the transfer would not affect the cases Shaharuddin is handling at MACC.
He added that legal officers in the judicial and legal service are typically rotated between three and five years.
Shaharuddin’s transfer is in line with this practice, which would give him the opportunity to broaden his experience in the field of trials and appeals.
Meanwhile, when asked about his experience handling corruption cases compared to murder cases, Shaharuddin said he would rather handle the latter.
“I would rather handle murder cases - 20 murder cases rather than one corruption case. To me, murder cases are slightly easier than corruption cases.
“With corruption cases, we’d be thinking about what the witness might say tomorrow while we’re trying to sleep,” said the Kelantan native. - Mkini
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