Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim reminded that the current MACC chief Azam Baki and Attorney-General Idrus Harun were both appointed to their positions under the Muhyiddin Yassin administration.
As such, Hassan (above) said he believes there is no such thing as selection prosecution or political persecution carried out by the two agencies against Muhyiddin, who was recently charged with corruption.
“I agree with the media statements issued by the MACC and the attorney-general that there is no such thing as selective prosecution or political persecution deliberately to oppress certain political leaders.
“The heads of these two government agencies were appointed by the eighth prime minister, who is the Pagoh MP.
“We should preserve the image of these two very important agencies in implementing the law that is the MACC and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC),” Hassan said in a Facebook livestream today.
Muhyiddin was charged with four counts of abuse of power and two counts of money laundering involving RM232.5 million.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders have been describing the charges against Muhyiddin as selective prosecution or political persecution meant to target the government’s political foes.
Several other PN leaders have been charged with graft related to the Jana Wibawa programme recently, such as former Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad.
Both the MACC and the AGC issued separate statements yesterday denying there was any interference in investigations pertaining to the Jana Wibawa programme.
Check and balance
In Hassan’s livestream today, he also advised those who have been charged to be open-minded and not easily assume they were victims of selective prosecution or that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is trying to oppress them.
“I do not think that is the purpose and in our country, it is not that our prime minister or the finance minister can have free rein with their power.
“The power that is vested in the finance minister will be checked, balanced, and monitored by everyone, including the rakyat and myself.
“We will not let the prime minister oppress anyone but if the prime minister is making efforts to combat corruption, take care of the country’s economy, and save the rakyat’s money, of course, we have to support him.
“We will not let the prime minister stand alone in his noble efforts to fight corruption,” Hassan said.
Hassan is known for being vocal with his opinions, whether he is critical or supportive of Anwar, who is also the president of PKR which Hassan is a member of.
The Pasir Gudang MP also pointed out that there are many politicians who have been charged with corruption in court, including Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
‘If not us, then who? If not now, then when?’
Hassan reminded that although someone may have been charged, they remain innocent until the court convicts them and even then, there are avenues for them to appeal the decision to higher courts.
“So, let us be patient. To those who are facing charges, let us trust in the judiciary process and the integrity of our judges.
“I call upon everyone as an MP to give space to the rule of law to take place without interference in this country,” he said.
The country is already burdened with about RM1.2 trillion of debt and dealing with huge amounts of leakages every year due to corruption and abuse of power, he said.
As such, he said, it is his and every lawmaker’s duty to support Anwar’s efforts to fight corruption.
“I asked myself as an MP, if I do not support Anwar’s efforts as the prime minister in combatting corruption, who else can we rely on?
“If not now, then when? Just talking about manifestos is not enough. Implementation needs to happen.
“So, I implore everyone, including the opposition, to listen to this speech of mine. This (fighting corruption) is an important agenda,” Hassan said. - Mkini
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