The fact that the MACC is only now probing the incidences of corruption, as testified by a witness in the Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd trial, shows the agency needs a "large-scale shake-up", said Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng.
In a statement today, he said what is even more baffling is that the witness who testified to payments made to top politicians is an MACC witness.
"The witness from UKSB revealed in court that he had given money to various ministers, including a former deputy prime minister.
"This witness is the prosecution witness and is MACC's own witness.
"So how can MACC now act as if it didn't know about this and is only starting to investigate the matter revealed in court after public pressure?" Lim, who is a former finance minister, asked.
The DAP politician said if the Umno president, who is the accused in the UKSB trial is found guilty of corruption, then others who the court heard also received money from UKSB are guilty too.
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million from UKSB to extend a government contract to it.
The contract was to operate the One-Stop Centre in China and the Overseas Visa system (VLN system), as well as to maintain the agreement to supply the VLN integrated system equipment to the same company.
Zahid was deputy prime minister and home minister at the time the inducements were made between October 2014 and March 2018.
Last week, a former UKSB administrative manager, David Tan, told the High Court that former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former minister Shafie Apdal received funds from the company.
The court also heard testimony that the names of other ministers and deputy ministers were recorded in the company's payment ledger, some under code names.
They include former foreign minister Anifah Aman, his deputy Reezal Merican, current defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein and current health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Muhyiddin and Anifah have denied they ever received funds from UKSB.
'MACC used as a political tool'
Lim said MACC's lack of action against the others implicated suggests double standards in its persecution.
"It clearly shows the MACC has failed and was used as a political tool," he said.
"There needs to be a large-scale shake-up in MACC so confidence can be restored and Malaysia's position in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index can be improved," he said.
In 2021, Malaysia dropped five spots in the Corruption Perception Index, to 62nd position out of 180 countries in terms of public sector confidence.
It scored 48 out of 100 points in the index, compared to 51 the year before.
A score of 100 means very clean, while zero means highly corrupt.
In 2019, Malaysia placed 51 out of 180 countries. - Mkini
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