'Will Isa swim free like the 18 sharks Pak Lah failed to net?'

When Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over the leadership reins from Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2003, he had promised to come down hard on corruption.

Recalling this period in the wake of former Felda chairperson Isa Samad's arrest, Lim Kit Siang wondered if this was a re-run of a pre-general election tactic.

Prior to the 2008 general election, he said the then minister in the Prime Minister's Department Rais Yatim announced that the Abdullah administration would net “18 sharks” for corruption.

“But not a single 'shark' was netted to be convicted and sentenced in the whole five-year Abdullah premiership and all the 'lightning and thunder' about eradicating corruption by netting and nailing the 'sharks' ended in a whimper without any results,” he added in a media statement.

“Will the same mockery of justice repeat again with the approach of the 14th general election?” he asked in reference to Isa's case.

According to Lim, the circumstances of Isa's appointment as chairperson of both Felda and Felda Global Ventures (FGV) and now as Land Public Transport Commission (Spad) acting chairperson make this a pertinent question.

The DAP leader also pointed out that Isa was suspended for six years from Umno after the party's disciplinary board found him guilty of money politics.

“With such a background, the appointment of Isa to top public posts is most questionable and creates an onerous responsibility on the prime minister to be constantly on alert that such a blemished appointee should strictly abide by the principles of good governance, integrity and accountability.

“Had Najib performed these additional duties in this case?” he asked.

Lim also urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to explain the reasons for appointing Isa as chairperson of both Felda and FGV, and since July, as acting chairperson of Spad.

He also wanted the premier to disclose the state of Isa's present position as acting chairperson of Spad following his arrest and five-day remand.

Isa was arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) yesterday to facilitate investigation into Felda Investment Corporation's (FIC) purchase of hotels.

MACC is reportedly looking at two hotel purchases one in London and another in Kuching, suspected to be at bloated prices. - Mkini