There is no need for Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar to go on leave over the MACC probe into migrant worker approvals, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Anwar said the case is still at the investigation stage and no charges have been pressed against the minister.
"For example, if I as the prime minister were to be called in to give an explanation and assist in an investigation, does that mean I need to resign too?
"We must know the difference. The case is still in the process of investigation, which we leave to MACC.
"If there are no charges, then nothing happens. But if there are charges pressed in court, that would be a different story," Anwar said.
The prime minister spoke to reporters after officiating at a book launching event at Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka in Kuala Lumpur.
Anwar urged the public not to speculate beyond what has been reported so far, where the DAP minister said he was only called to answer some questions from MACC.
"But the important principle here is that, when it comes to the matter of governance and anti-corruption, we (the government) are strict and we do not care who they are, or from which party they come. This is our policy," he said.
The MACC probe has resulted in at least two of Sivakumar's senior aides being detained, while the minister himself was questioned and his office and home "visited" by the graft buster.
Earlier, Transport Minister Anthony Loke also said there had been no instructions for the human resources minister to go on leave.
He said that Sivakumar was merely giving his cooperation to the MACC in its graft probe on migrant worker approvals.
“He is not a suspect as far as I am concerned; he is just giving his cooperation as a minister on this case.
“At this point in time, we will still observe any development.
“Besides, there has been no instruction from the prime minister (Anwar Ibrahim) for him to take leave,” Loke (above) said during a press conference at his ministry in Putrajaya today.
Previously, it was reported that the anti-graft watchdog is investigating allegations that those involved had set up a migrant workers’ recruitment agency to obtain approval from the ministry despite conflicts of interest.
Industry sources told Malaysiakini that one of the arrested officers, in his senior position, could potentially influence approvals of hiring quotas from manpower agencies.
Last month, Sivakumar announced that the quota application and approval for foreign workers, including through the Foreign Worker Employment Relaxation Plan, have been temporarily suspended.
At the time, he said the suspension was to enable employers, who have already been granted quotas, to start making plans for the immediate entry of foreign workers. - Mkini
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