DPM deal: DAP challenges MACC to probe PM and Takiyuddin

 

The MACC has been urged to investigate Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassin for abuse of powers over the deal to appoint a deputy prime minister.

Bagan MP and DAP chairperson Lim Guan Eng said Takiyuddin, who is also the energy and natural resources minister, had openly admitted that he drafted the agreement when he was the law minister and not in the latter’s capacity as PAS secretary-general.

“This is an open public admission of abusing his powers and misusing his ministerial position not for the national interest or party advantage but for the political benefit of the prime minister and Perikatan Nasional (PN).

“DAP condemns the irresponsible attitude of the current government leaders treating their public positions as private properties to be misused and abused for narrow and sectarian political interests.

“This is evident not only in the current government appointing politicians and government MPs with no professional competency or technical expertise to the board of directors or head of government-linked companies controlling tens of billions of ringgit of public assets but also the unprecedented appointment of an Umno politician to be the chairperson of the Securities Commission,” he said in a statement today.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hasan and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (right)

Lim said it remained to be seen whether the MACC could prove that it was independent by probing both Ismail Sabri and Takiyuddin.

Takiyuddin had drafted a “memorandum of agreement” sometime last year outlining conditions for BN and PN’s support of Ismail Sabri to be prime minister.

Bersatu is lobbying Ismail Sabri to fulfil an agreement to appoint a deputy prime minister from Bersatu and meet Bersatu’s cabinet position quota.

Talks of a possible cabinet reshuffle stemmed from Zuraida Kamaruddin’s decision to leave Bersatu. She is a member of Ismail Sabri’s cabinet with a junior position.

However, Ismail Sabri is dithering on whether Zuraida will be replaced, in part due to pressure from his own party Umno which loathes Bersatu. - Mkini