Pua: No need for Guan Eng to go on leave

DAP publicity chief says the Penang Chief Minister, unlike Prime Minister Najib Razak in the RM2.6 billion donation case, is not in a position to influence the outcome of MACC investigations.

KUALA LUMPUR: There is no need for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to go on leave while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) conducts its investigation into the purchase of his RM2.8 million bungalow, says DAP MP Tony Pua.

“If he is made to take leave before the investigation is completed, he will be subjected to all sorts of accusations and allegations that are completely without basis.

“Then we all have to take leave from our positions. It’s baseless, absolutely baseless,” said Pua when met at the Parliament lobby here today.

Previously, Opposition party members had insisted on Prime Minister Najib Razak taking a leave of absence while investigations into the RM2.6 billion political donation in his bank accounts and allegations of misappropriation in 1Malaysia Development Berhad were carried out.

Pua said the same standard, however, did not apply to Lim.

He said Najib was in a position that could see him being directly involved in the probe and hence influence the findings.

“In addition to being the prime minister, Najib is also the finance minister and is, therefore, in a position to influence the outcome of the investigations.

“That was why we called for him to take a leave of absence during the investigation,” said Pua, who is DAP’s publicity chief.

He also urged the anti-graft agency to complete its probe as soon as possible and said the Opposition was more than willing to cooperate.

“Quickly finish the investigations. That is what we request from MACC. We don’t want the commission to delay.

“In the 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion case, it was more than a year and nothing came out of it.

“You think MACC can’t check whatever it wants to check? Within a week, MACC can check and decide whether to charge or not.

“We are willing to cooperate tomorrow if they want. Reporters asked us if they can see the house and we took them there because we have nothing to hide.”

Tasek Gelugor MP Shabudin Yahaya told the Dewan Rakyat last week that Lim had bought a bungalow in Pinhorn Road, Penang, at a price that was much lower than the market value.

Shabudin alleged that while the market price of the bungalow Lim purchased on October 25 last year was estimated at RM6 million to RM6.5 million, Lim got it for half the market value.