Dr Mahathir is puzzled as to why MACC seems to be chummy with the government

PUTRAJAYA – Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad finds it rather baffling that Malaysia’s independent graft buster seems to be rubbing shoulders with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's unity government

In fact, sometimes, said 98-year-old Mahathir in an exclusive interview in Sinar Daily’s Fireside Chat, there were times when the two's chemistry made it look as if the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was trying to support the government.

“Why? We don’t know but we think that sometimes clear-cut cases were not given attention by the MACC,” Mahathir claimed.

For example, he said, was the supposedly selective probing of politicians from the opposition.

“MACC is involved with investigations into people like Najib (former PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak) and 1MDB; like Zahid (Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) and many others.

“But the MACC is focusing more on those people who are accused of bribery in the opposition. Those who are not in the opposition do not get the attention from MACC. So, people worry, and think maybe the MACC is biased.

“That it is focusing only on those who are opposed to the government,” said Mahathir.

MACC was recently heavily criticised with many questioning its impartiality after its Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki ruled out that there were elements of corruption involved in Zahid’s grant announcement in Terengganu on July 28.

The announcement by Zahid under his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister and Rural Regional Development Minister caught notoriety as it was made merely a day before the July 29 nomination day of the August 12 state elections in Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

According to Azam, the RM100,000 worth of grants dangled by Zahid – in which its amount will be increased if the people of Terengganu were to “ride the blue waves in the state”, was not a form of vote-buying.

“This is a ruling government which could implement the initiative which is beneficial to the people. To me, there is no problem with the grant as it is a government initiative,” said Azam.