Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Parliament on Thursday, 5^th March 2009: 

MACC proving it is just UMNO catspaw when it clears Umno of money politics

Far from wanting to prove that it is another ICAC (Hong Kong’s intrepid and world-famous Independent Commission Against Corruption) as promised in Parliament in December, the newly-formed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) seemed determined to establish that it is nothing but the catspaw of UMNO.

The latest evidence has again come from the MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan who said in Malacca that the MACC had completed its investigation on claims of money politics in Umno and found no cases so far.

Congratulations to the MACC Chief Commissioner for clearing UMNO of all allegations of the corruption of money politics – which must have even caught UMNO leaders, delegates and members by surprise that UMNO is so clean, pristine and pure!

Except that this is the biggest indictment on the MACC as a meaningful, effective and an intrepid anti-corruption body!

Ahmad Said outdid himself in his two months’ of outrageous utterances and actions when he defended the MACC’s harassment of the Perak Speaker, V. Sivakumar and one of his counsel, Augustine Anthony allegedly for misuse of power in calling for an emergency sitting of the Assembly.

Ahmad Said claimed that the Perak Speaker does not have absolute immunity from investigations from the MACC and that Sivakumar could be investigated as he was deemed an officer of the civil service under the MACC Act 2009 for abuse of power.

Who will investigate Ahmad Said as MACC Chief Commissioner for abuse of power not only for harassing the Perak Speaker and his counsel, but also on trampling on the doctrine of separation of powers in barring any external interference, whether executive or judicial, in the internal proceedings of the legislature?

Furthermore, will Ahmad Said order the MACC to investigate Judicial Commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim for abuse of powers under the MACC Act for issuing an injunction against the Perak Speaker and the Perak State Assembly which disregarded the Federal and State Constitutions and laws that the validity of the proceedings in the legislative assembly cannot be questioned in any court?

The MACC is clearly among the biggest casualties in the illegal, unethical, immoral and unconstitutional power grab in Perak orchestrated by the Prime Minister-in-waiting, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary leader & MP for Ipoh Timor