By Melissa Chi
Jun 11, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 – Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud should go on leave until the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) complete their probe into allegations of his corrupt practices, Lim Kit Siang said today.
The pro-government New Straits Times have highlighted the probe, which began after Taib won the Sarawak polls in April. The long-serving chief minister has resisted Putrajaya’s call to step down sooner than later, prompting a media campaign on his alleged graft offences.
“Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that it is currently investigating Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud over allegation of timber corruption.
“Its chief commissioner, Abu Kassim Mohamed said two days ago that the commission was in the process of gathering more information regarding the matter.
“Is ‘gathering more information’ tantamount to a corruption investigation under the MACC Act 2009 or is it an activity which can be outsourced to any research organisation?” Lim (picture) asked in a statement today.
He added although what Abu Kassim said is a “great improvement to his stony silence” just two months ago, Sarawakians and Malaysians are entitled to know clearly and definitively whether MACC has opened files to investigate into the “grand corruption” allegations against the Sarawak Chief Minister.
The MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed confirmed two days ago that investigations into the nation’s longest serving chief minister’s wealth are still ongoing, and did not elaborate on the progress.
Abu Kassim had also said the anti-graft body was unaware over reports that Finma (the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) was investigating Taib’s assets in Switzerland.
Whistler-blower website Sarawak Report reported last month that the president of the Swiss Federation, Micheline Calmy-Rey, had forwarded information about Taib’s Swiss assets to its regulatory body Finma for investigation.
According to the report, Calmy-Rey was quoted as saying in an official letter that Switzerland “seriously” viewed the concerns that have been raised internationally about Taib’s alleged profiteering from timber corruption and was unhappy that such assets may have been invested in Switzerland.
“When did the MACC begin corruption investigations (as distinct from ‘gathering more information’) against Taib and why must MACC act only after international pressure emanating from the Swiss Federation President Micheline Calmy-Rey after she forwarded the information about Taib’s assets in Switzerland to its regulatory body Finma (the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) for investigation?
“In any event, shouldn’t Taib Mahmud go on leave until MACC has cleared him of grave ‘grand corruption’ allegations as otherwise it would be a shame to Sarawak and Malaysia to have a state Chief Minister actively under MACC investigations following international pressures,” Lim said.
#1 by monsterball on Saturday, 11 June 2011 - 5:57 pm
You notice when matters concerning corruptions…the PM is extremely quiet…including that old big mouth.
They are as corrupted as Taib…one big gang and team work.
What are said by LKS should be said by Najib..if he is sincerely interested to get rid of corruptions.
The fact that Najib is keeping quiet..it is a signal to MACC to make another show….prolonging the investigation…until after 13th GE…where Najib will peform his wonders..if he is the elected PM.
#2 by boh-liao on Saturday, 11 June 2011 - 9:00 pm
NR quiet cos very busy lah, dis nation sedang kena tsunami of free porn CD (PCD), d latest being dat on Mat Sabu
Very interesting trend, PCD on MCA, PKR n PAS chaps, so it’s a matter of not “if” but “when” we will get PCD on DAP mates
Heard they r hiring LGE, LKS, KS look-alikes, very handsome rewards
Ingat Lingam: Looks like me, sounds like me, but …………
#3 by yhsiew on Saturday, 11 June 2011 - 9:03 pm
If Najib cannot touch Taib, who is MACC to investigate Taib? It is all a stage drama.
#4 by boh-liao on Saturday, 11 June 2011 - 9:42 pm
ATM boasted: Hey, LKS, just look at my initial lah, U no know what is put inside an ATM?
Anyway, ATM will tell LKS: Y U no go after NR n RM n entourage dat went 2 Kazakstan recently on rakyat’s $$ 2 attend their child’s wedding, ooops sorry, official business?
#5 by pulau_sibu on Saturday, 11 June 2011 - 10:24 pm
i think taib is always on leave or taking vacation, or busy in managing his business empire. that is why sarawak is not progressing much since rajah era. did he ever go from long house to long house in order to see the real life of the people? he hardly showed up in big towns like sibu, except when it is chinese new year, to collect his angpao. macc please make sure all these angpao are reported as income and the taxes have been paid.
let’s not bad mouth taib. i think there is a conspiracy now in investigating him. this is umno way of trying to hijack sarawak by getting rid of taib. taib refused to step down immediately and it got the nerve of umno. or umno is even more jealous of the business empire that taib is managing. are we sure that umno politicians are not richer than taib and yet they are never investigated?
taib has the support of the majority, so he can stay on. umno better keep quiet. if taib gets mad, he can move all his mps out of bn and let bn collapse. najib will be gone if without the support from taib.
or above all, umno and macc could be just playing the usual game by fooling the people around. there is no real investigation behind the scene. since the release of information on the web, why it took so long until macc started to say that they are investigating taib?
#6 by donng55 on Sunday, 12 June 2011 - 1:11 am
//Sarawak Report reported last month that the president of the Swiss Federation, Micheline Calmy-Rey, had forwarded information about Taib’s Swiss assets to its regulatory body Finma for investigation.
According to the report, Calmy-Rey was quoted as saying in an official letter that Switzerland “seriously” viewed the concerns that have been raised internationally about Taib’s alleged profiteering from timber corruption and was unhappy that such assets may have been invested in Switzerland. //
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MALAYSIA BOLEH!
MALAYSIA BOLEH!
MALAYSIA BOLEH!
What a scale of amorality and blatant sale of rakyat’s trust!
What are you going to do about it, Najib?
More importantly, what are you people in Sarawak going to do about it?
#7 by Mike Tee on Sunday, 12 June 2011 - 1:53 am
MACC or police force when investigating the allegation of the opposition party members is ARREST FIRST, then TAKE TIME TO INVESTIGATE.
When investigating BN members is always TAKING TIME INVESTIGATION or gather info first, arrest later if there is any, never fail !!!
Those who spelled out the messages for the BN have never been punished, just look at editor of Utusan.
Taib will be let off lightly no doubt after the 13GE, otherwise every top present and past ministers will be affected.
Malaysia is in such a poor state is because this great country is run by THIEVES and ROBBERS !!!!