UMNO = CORRUPTION? ‘IT SO HAPPENS ALL THE BIG CASES INVOLVE UMNO’: MAHATHIR ADAMANT WHERE A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED, ACTION WILL BE TAKEN – EVEN AS HE DEFERS SEPARATING POWERS OF AG & PUBLIC PROSECUTOR DUE TO LACK OF 2/3 MAJORITY

THE government is not targeting Umno despite the spate of cases against its leaders, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“There are thousands of cases from the Najib Razak administration. We cannot handle a thousand cases in one day and we have to focus on the big cases.

“It so happens that all these big cases involved Umno,”   said Dr Mahathir after attending the fifth meeting organised by National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC).

“We are taking action not because they are Umno but because a crime has been committed,” said Dr Mahathir.

The prime minister was responding to a question on whether the government was targeting Umno leaders in the corruption probes.

Former Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi had alleged that the recent charges against its leaders – Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Azeez Rahim and others – was part of Dr Mahathir’s plan to destroy Umno.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said that the government will launch the National Anti-Corruption plan in 2019.

He said the setting up of integrity units in GLCs are among some of the measures that will be taken to improve their integrity. – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT

Putrajaya defers separating AG, public prosecutor’s powers

PUTRAJAYA — The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government’s plan to separate the function of the public prosecutor from the attorney general (AG) post has been put on hold, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

He said the plan was shelved as it involves amending the Federal Constitution, which requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

“Thorough study was made on the suggestion to separate the function of the public prosecutor and the attorney general.

“This involves the Constitution and we do not have enough, two-thirds [majority], in Dewan Rakyat to ensure this amendment will be passed,” he told a press conference after chairing the Anti-Corruption Special Cabinet Committee meeting here. – MALAY MAIL

THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT / MALAY MAIL