PETALING JAYA: Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has questioned the government’s policy on civil servants receiving and giving gifts, after Najib Razak’s lawyers said three luxury watches seized by police in a 2018 raid on his residence were gifts to the former prime minister.
Lim said that during Pakatan Harapan’s 22 months in power, its Cabinet initiated a policy of not accepting any gifts worth more than RM500 to ensure that civil servants, including ministers, were not involved in corrupt activities.
In April, he said, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) reported that it was drafting amendments regarding the issue of receiving and giving gifts to civil servants, adding that most government agencies also have regulations governing this.
“Is the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob also subject to this policy?” he asked in a statement.
“What is the policy for ministers when it comes to receiving and giving gifts? Are they allowed to accept gifts of any value from any individual or company?
“Such regulations need to be announced to the public as the issue is one of public interest and should be taken seriously.
“This way, people are aware of the importance of not giving any gifts to civil servants, especially those who hold high positions in the government.”
During the hearing of a forfeiture application in the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Monday, Najib’s lawyer, Tania Scivetti, said three of the seven Richard Mille watches, worth a total of RM4.51 million, seized during a raid were gifts from businessmen to the former prime minister.
The Edge Markets reported that two of the watches – one costing RM1.58 million and the other RM500,400 – were bought by Yeoh Seok Ping. The third watch, costing RM419,300, was paid for by Desmond Lim. - FMT
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