Shafie: I declared assets when questioned by MACC

Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal is listed among MPs from Sabah who have yet to declare their assets to the MACC. (Bernama pic)

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal says he will declare his assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) again despite having done so when he was previously detained by the anti-graft agency.

The Semporna MP joked that he also had some “saham” (stocks).

“I have declared (my assets) to MACC last time (during the detention) but it’s okay. I will do it one more time… this is a requirement for Parliament maybe.

“MACC investigated me, how many investments I had (among others)… adalah sikit (there’s a little bit),” he said with a laugh.

“But we’ll do that (declare assets), maybe not enough time (to do so) but that is not the reason. We will fulfil, God willing (as there is) nothing to hide,” he said.

Bernama reported yesterday that Shafie was among several Sabah MPs who had yet to declare their assets to MACC. The others included Deputy Chief Minister and Tuaran MP Wilfred Madius Tangau and Labuan MP Rozman Isli.

Besides that, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi (Silam) and de facto law minister VK Liew (Batu Sapi) have declared their monthly income but not their assets, according to the MACC website.

Shafie, who is Warisan president, was arrested by MACC in 2017 in connection with a probe over alleged misappropriation of rural infrastructure development funds in Sabah involving RM1.5 billion.

He was freed on bail after being detained for questioning for eight days.

In Aug this year, Liew cleared Shafie of any wrongdoing in the matter, telling the Dewan Negara that the prosecution did not proceed with the case against the former rural and regional development minister due to insufficient evidence.

Meanwhile, Shafie brushed off claims by the Sabah opposition that the previous Barisan Nasional government had been vindicated by the Auditor-General’s 2017 Report, which said Sabah was in a good financial standing.

“The A-G’s report at the time (also said) 1MDB was good. But now you know what’s 1MDB all about,” he said.

He disclosed that the fee to maintain the state administrative building here, which was built during BN’s rule, was RM2 million a year while the lease amounted to RM132 million for five years.

“That’s a lot… (it’s) better if I build a new building. There are many more (revelations) if I wanted to tell,” he said.

According to Shafie, he was not disputing the A-G’s report but pointed out that there had been news stories about the 1MDB report being tampered with.

Sabah Umno chief Hajiji Mohd Noor had said the A-G’s 2017 report on Sabah clearly disputed Warisan’s claim that the state’s finances were mismanaged by the previous administration and vindicated former chief minister Musa Aman. - FMT