Putra president Ibrahim Ali has slammed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s statement defending the MACC from criticisms.
Rebuking the "double-faced" attitude of current government leaders, Ibrahim (above, right) reminded the public that before the 15th general election, PKR leaders had openly pledged to take stern action against MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki.
"Was that not politically motivated then? Or is political motivation only permissible when in the opposition, and forbidden once in the government?
"Do not use power to whitewash old statements,” he said in a statement today.
Anwar, while speaking at the Home Ministry in Putrajaya earlier today, stressed that every complaint of misconduct against any top government official must be judged according to the law and not based on political motivation.
He said the government cannot punish someone based on political motivation or because an individual is disliked by certain parties.
“If enforcement actions and punitive measures are necessary, then by all means, they should take place.
“But it should not simply be because we are not fond of the person, we decide to immediately ‘punish’ them. Enforcement should be clear," Anwar added.
‘Toothless Abim’
Ibrahim also took aim at the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim), which had earlier suggested that corruption issues should not be politicised.
He claimed the organisation has now lost its bite and merely serves as a "shield" for the Madani government, contrasting with the vocal image it once projected.
“If corruption is not a political issue, then what is politics for? Politics is not a contest of who speaks best - it is about the trust in managing the country.
"If corruption cannot be discussed in politics, that is what you call empty politics,” he asserted.
Ibrahim further stressed that a leader’s principles should not change according to their seat in Putrajaya.
He described the act of changing stances after holding power as a form of hypocrisy.
"In Islam, ‘amar makruf nahi mungkar’ (enjoining good and forbidding wrong) is mandatory during hardship and when in power.
“If principles change when power is obtained, those are not principles, but hypocrisy or being a hypocrite.
"Putra does not play double standards or have two, three or four faces. If it is wrong, it remains wrong. Principles do not bow to positions or power,” he stressed.
Azam, MACC under fire
Ibrahim's comments come amid protests against Azam, who has been embroiled in a shareholding scandal, and allegations that MACC officers had colluded with private individuals to strong-arm business rivals and abet corporate takeovers.
On Feb 15, hundreds took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur to protest the matter, urging Azam to resign, and accusing Anwar of allegedly defending the MACC chief.
The government has established a three-person committee headed by Attorney-General Dusuki Mokhtar to investigate Azam’s shareholdings and compliance with civil service rules.
However, Dusuki indicated that the committee will not be investigating the alleged involvement of MACC officers in corporate takeovers.
In late 2021, Azam came under scrutiny over his ownership of shares valued at hundreds of thousands of ringgit in two companies.
In January 2022, Azam said he informed the MACC’s Corruption Prevention Advisory Board that the shares were bought by his brother, who borrowed his account, and that he believed he did not do anything wrong.
The declaration triggered a Securities Commission probe that eventually found no evidence of proxy trading as it determined Azam had “control” over his own trading account.
At the time, Anwar and three other Pakatan Harapan leaders called for Azam to be suspended to make way for an independent investigation. - Mkini
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