I have been accused of receiving RM1 billion bribe from former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad with the four objectives to let Parti Pribumi Bersatu to join Pakatan Harapan, make Mahathir the Pakatan Harapan Chairman, ensure my silence on the Bank Negara foreign exchange (forex) scandal of the 90s and give Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir a safe Parliament seat to contest in the forthcoming general election.

I said in Muar on Friday night that if such an allegation is true, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) knows nothing about, then this is a gross dereliction of duty on the part of MACC and the MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad should resign in disgrace because of utter incompetence.

I was utterly dumb-founded when the MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner, Datuk Azam Baki responded to this statement and pleaded that the MACC has no jurisdiction over political donations, and that the MACC Act 2008 does not cover offences related to money politics.

He said that Parliament had not passed any legislation that provides guidelines for political parties or politicians on political funding.

He said that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan is heading the National Consultative Committee on Political Financing to look into a law on political funding and he believed that the bill on political funding may be tabled in Parliament next year.

What is most shocking is that the MACC would not investigate the allegation that I had received RM1 billion bribe from Mahathir, saying:

“It is not an issue of whether we know about it or not. The issue came out on social media, but no one came forward to lodge a complaint.

“But, as far as we know, it is not an offence under our laws. So, that is why we did not open an investigation paper on that matter.”

I find Azam’s explanation most astonishing and totally unacceptable.

MACC’s contention that there is a need for special legislation by Parliament for political funding before MACC can take action against money politics and corruption is a red herring and just an excuse and cover-up for MACC failure and inaction against the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s RM2.6 billion donation in his personal banking accounts.

There is nothing under the law to stop MACC from acting against the Prime Minister, Minister or any political leader for the criminal offence of money politics or the use of money to buy political favours, except for the lack of political will in the MACC.

MACC now says that there is nothing wrong if Mahathir had given me RM1 billion for four objectives: to let Parti Pribumi Bersatu to join Pakatan Harapan, make Mahathir the Pakatan Harapan Chairman, ensure my silence on the Bank Negara foreign exchange (forex) scandal of the 90s and give Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir a safe Parliament seat to contest in the forthcoming general election.

If Mahathir had given me RM1 billion bribe, I hereby declare that I will give one million Malaysians earning below RM1,200 a month a donation of RM1,000 each.

If Mahathir had given me RM1 billion, I will give one million Malaysians earning below RM1,200 a month R1,000 each.

It has been alleged that RM750 million had been paid by Mahathir to me overseas – in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Produce the evidence and I will gladly donate the entire sum to RM750 million to Malaysians earning less than RM1,200 a month at RM1,000 each!

Although I should be happy that according to MACC, it is no crime to receive RM1 billion bribe from Mahathir for the four stated objectives and I am free to spend the mythical RM1 billion as to how I like, let me state that the MACC is very wrong and failed in its duty to fight corruption.

I do not accept that if it is true that I had received RM1 billion bribe from Mahathir for the four stated objectives, it is no offence of corruption.

For instance, RM1 billion bribe to buy my silence on the RCI inquiry into Bank Negara’s forex losses three decades ago? If true, is this criminal act not a crime at all?

MACC officers who hold such views are not qualified to be MACC officers at all.

Clearly, the MACC is deliberately giving a very narrow interpretation of “corruption” to justify its inaction on the Prime Minister and the 1MDB scandal.

(Speech t the Pakatan Harapan ceramah on “Sayangi Malaysia, Hapuskan Kleptocrasi” at Dewan Komplex Sukan Pandamaran, Klang on Saturday, October 8, 2017 at 9 pm)