MACC chief would rather quit, than go against his own officers

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Abu Kassim Mohamed has vowed that he would rather resign than take action against his officers who are merely carrying out their duties under the law.

He did so in a leaked internal memo to staff now circulating online. The MACC told Malaysiakini the memo is authentic.

"Based on my experience of over 30 years in this field, I know that MACC officers have always carried out their duties in a professional manner.

"I would like to stress that I am willing to resign, rather than take actions against my officers who have all this while been defending the MACC's independence, upholding justice, as well as carrying out their duties according to the law," said Abu Kassim in the internal memo that had been uploaded on Facebook.

This comes as the MACC comes under attack by pro-Umno bloggers, after special operations director Bahri Mohd Zin said the commission will most likely appeal against attorney-general (AG) Mohamed Apandi Ali’s decision to close two cases against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

When contacted, MACC strategic communications director Rohaizad Yaakob confirmed that Abu Kassim's statement was only meant for internal circulation.

"The statement was intended only for MACC staff. If it has been leaked on Facebook, the person who leaked will need to ask his or herself where his or her integrity lies," Rohaizad told Malaysiakini.

Rohaizad, however, could not say if Abu Kassim issued the memo in response to allegations that he had made an earlier statement "under pressure".

Last Thursday, Abu Kassim said that MACC officers must uphold the highest ethical standards and would be held accountable for the oaths of office that they have sworn.

Abu Kassim also reiterated that the MACC is not disputing, nor challenging the AG’s decision to clear PM Najib of any wrongdoings over the cases of RM42 million from SRC International and RM2.6 billion donation deposited into his personal account.

The statement was issued one day after Bahri told The Star that the commission would most likely appeal the decision.

In his message to the MACC’s staff, Abu Kassim further said that he is aware of views from various parties, including “baseless allegations” made against his officers.

“There is a blogger who tries to provoke me into taking actions against my officers for a certain reason that I believe is baseless, and I am confident that it is (indeed baseless),” he noted.

It is believed that Abu Kassim was referring to blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s latest posting, which has alleged an “internal power struggle” within the MACC. -Mkini