SHAH ALAM: Kapar Member of Parliament S. Manikavasagam (picture) has reproached the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for wanting to gag the media, saying that it should instead be cleaning up its own backyard.
“There is no need to gag the media or public,” he said yesterday. “When MACC was set up , it was meant to look after public interest. Now the new chief is threatening to haul in informants under the Anti Corruption Act 1997 if we tip off reporters.”
MACC, he said, had already suffered from credibility issues and this latest announcement by its newly anointed chief Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed was “just fuel on fire.”
Manikavasagam said Abu Kassim should punish his own officers for their incompetence and not try to muzzle the public and the media.
“They should look at their own backyard,” said. “There are files awaiting investigative action, files gone missing, people disappearing. And their officers are busy lodging irrelevant police reports.”
He was alluding to files of the Kampung Perepet land grab issue, which have been reported missing, and the recent police report lodged by two MACC officers against Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand.
Two MACC officers had alleged in a police report that Dr Pornthip had leaked information on a second autopsy on political aide Teoh Beng Hock–who was found dead on the 5th floor of Plaza Masalam on July 16–to the Parti Keadilan Rakyat organ, Suara Keadilan.
The Attorney-General’s office told the coroner’s court yesterday that there was no evidence to support the allegation against Dr Pornthip.
In June last year, the MACC came under fire from various quarters for failing to focus on the four-year Kampung Perepet land-grab issue.
Manikavasam, who had lodged a report with the commission, was told a year later that all related documents were missing. The land scam, he said, involved the overnight transfer of land titles to Barisan Nasional-linked recipients.
FMT
16/01/2010
“There is no need to gag the media or public,” he said yesterday. “When MACC was set up , it was meant to look after public interest. Now the new chief is threatening to haul in informants under the Anti Corruption Act 1997 if we tip off reporters.”
MACC, he said, had already suffered from credibility issues and this latest announcement by its newly anointed chief Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed was “just fuel on fire.”
Manikavasagam said Abu Kassim should punish his own officers for their incompetence and not try to muzzle the public and the media.
“They should look at their own backyard,” said. “There are files awaiting investigative action, files gone missing, people disappearing. And their officers are busy lodging irrelevant police reports.”
He was alluding to files of the Kampung Perepet land grab issue, which have been reported missing, and the recent police report lodged by two MACC officers against Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand.
Two MACC officers had alleged in a police report that Dr Pornthip had leaked information on a second autopsy on political aide Teoh Beng Hock–who was found dead on the 5th floor of Plaza Masalam on July 16–to the Parti Keadilan Rakyat organ, Suara Keadilan.
The Attorney-General’s office told the coroner’s court yesterday that there was no evidence to support the allegation against Dr Pornthip.
In June last year, the MACC came under fire from various quarters for failing to focus on the four-year Kampung Perepet land-grab issue.
Manikavasam, who had lodged a report with the commission, was told a year later that all related documents were missing. The land scam, he said, involved the overnight transfer of land titles to Barisan Nasional-linked recipients.
FMT
16/01/2010
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