MIC president SA Vigneswaran has defended Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim over the controversy surrounding the Retirement Fund (Incorporated) (KWAP) investment, arguing that no one should be judged before being proven guilty.
To drive home his point, Vigneswaran pointed to Anwar’s appointment of BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister, despite Zahid facing 47 criminal charges at the time.
"The fundamental principle of law that a person is innocent until proven guilty must be applied fairly and consistently in this situation.
"We do not welcome such statements. In fact, we condemn them," he told reporters in Seremban last night.
Vigneswaran (above, left) was responding to calls for Anwar’s resignation over KWAP’s loss of nearly RM200 million from an investment in Indonesian aquaculture startup eFishery.
PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden had insisted that Anwar, who is also the finance minister, could not escape political responsibility over the issue.
He also called for the suspension of KWAP chairperson Johan Mahmood Merican, pending the completion of investigations.
Hassan Abdul Karim, a lawmaker from Anwar’s party PKR, also demanded that the prime minister take responsibility over the matter.
Citing Zahid's appointment, Vigneswaran said the BN chairperson’s legal battle did not prevent Anwar from naming him deputy prime minister after the 2022 general election, when the coalition government was formed following a hung Parliament.
"At that time, Anwar relied on the same principle in making that appointment, namely that a person should not be punished before their guilt is proven in court.
"When Zahid was facing 47 charges in court, Anwar appointed him deputy prime minister. By the same principle, it is wrong for anyone to demand that he (Anwar) resign," Vigneswaran added.
In September 2023, Zahid was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) after the prosecution applied to discontinue the case.
Federal Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, who presided over the matter as the High Court judge, refused to grant a full acquittal, noting the attorney-general's authority to withdraw charges before judgment.
Sequerah also said judicial time and a significant amount of taxpayers' money would have been wasted if the prosecution decided not to proceed after the High Court had already found a prima facie case on all 47 charges and ordered Zahid to enter his defence.
KWAP victim of fraud
On July 16, Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat that KWAP had lost about RM200 million after being deceived through a coordinated fraud and financial statement manipulation involving eFishery.
In a written reply to Subang MP Wong Chen, Anwar said the investment had gone through KWAP’s governance process, including internal evaluations, independent due diligence, and reviews of the company’s financial, legal and operational standing before approval was granted.
KWAP and its fellow investors have since initiated legal action to recover the funds while strengthening the fund’s internal governance.
Last year, eFishery co-founder Gibran Huzaifah was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment in Bandung after being convicted of criminal breach of trust and money laundering. - Mkini
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