Kit Siang dares MACC chief to speak on 1MDB at rally

DAP's Lim Kit Siang says if MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad doesn't want to address people at PH rally, there's no point in agency's roadshow against graft.

PETALING JAYA: Lim Kit Siang wants Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad to speak at Pakatan Harapan’s “Sayangi Malaysia, Hapuskan Kleptokrasi” rally in Petaling Jaya next month.

Throwing a challenge to the head of the anti-graft agency, Lim said Dzulkifli must attend the event and tell Malaysians what the MACC under his leadership has done about the 1MDB scandal.

“Let Dzulkifli come to the rally in Petaling Jaya on Oct 14 and explain what the MACC has done to fight corruption and abuses of power in the 1MDB scandal.

“If Dzulkifli dare not come to the PH rally to explain what the MACC has done to fight corruption and abuses of power in the 1MDB scandal, what is the use of MACC having a nationwide roadshow on fighting corruption?” the DAP supremo said.

Lim was responding to comments attributed to Dzulkifli a few days ago.

“The MACC chief said two days ago that the people are watching me to judge my commitment and seriousness towards fighting corruption and abuses of power.

“Let me remind him that I have been watched by the people for more than half a century, and DAP leaders are prepared to be judged by the people,” Lim said.

He added that it was the MACC that was being watched and his leadership of the anti-graft agency will be judged by the people.

“The people will judge MACC on whether they dare to fight the ‘sharks’ of corruption, or only go after the ‘ikan bilis’ and the ‘medium-sized fishes’ in its campaign against corruption.”

Lim, who is Gelang Patah MP, has put Dzulkifli on the spot since the MACC chief launched a nationwide anti-corruption campaign called “Say No to Corruption” recently.

“Unfortunately, MACC officials only dare to tell the people to ‘Say No to Corruption’ but they dare not say so themselves, in particular on the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal which has turned Malaysia overnight into a global kleptocracy,” Lim said.

Verbal duel

Lim’s comments is the latest salvo in what seems to be a verbal duel between him and the MACC chief.

Bernama reported yesterday that Dzulkifli had criticised Lim over the use of the word “monkeys” when talking about him.

Dzulkifli said that while he was open to criticism from the DAP leader, it should be conveyed in a civilised manner.

“The people can judge whether the behaviour and words of the DAP leader are in accordance with Malaysian culture.

“We are civilised people but the words used are extreme and uncivilised,” Dzulkifli was quoted as saying by Bernama.

He was referring to a report where Lim had criticised Dzulkifli when he said that all eyes were on the graft-buster, specifically on whether he would lead a clean MACC.

According to Bernama, Lim had said that Dzulkifli should realise that if he acted as the traditional three monkeys – with eyes that see not, ears that hear not, and a mouth that speaks not – over the 1MDB scandal, he would make the MACC the first “kleptocratic” anti-corruption agency in the world. - FMT