'New evidence, witnesses needed to reopen probe on Taib'

MACC will require new witnesses or evidence to reopen its probe on alleged corruption involving Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud.

MACC chief Mohd Shukri Abdull said today that 15 separate investigations were initiated against Taib in the past and submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers but the latter found that no charges could be pressed against the former Sarawak chief minister.

"Based on our investigations, there was truth in some of the allegations made against Taib," Shukri told a press conference in Petaling Jaya after launching a book authored by Transparency-International Malaysia president Akhbar Satar.

"But the problem was that he never made any decisions [...] he did not sit in for any of the meetings, someone else sat in for the meetings.

"There was not one case where he (Taib) chaired a meeting. Somebody else made the decisions," Shukri explained.

As such, under the law, no charges could be pressed against Taib for alleged abuse of power, he claimed.

Shukri said this when asked for comments on whether MACC would reopen its probe against Taib based on a report first lodged by NGO Movement of Change Sarawak leader Francis Siah in 2011.

Siah had on Sunday expressed hope that Shukri would reopen the probe against Taib based on his initial report.

This followed Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's recent comments that no investigations could be carried out against Taib unless a report was first lodged with the MACC. 

Taib ruled Sarawak as chief minister from 1981 to 2014, the longest-serving chief executive of a Malaysian state.

His tenure was riddled with allegations of corruption, unbridled deforestation and that his family members had extensive business interests in government projects.

- Mkini