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Shafie: MACC, IRB should not be used as political tools for intimidation

Shafie: MACC, IRB should not be used as political tools for intimidation
Shafie: MACC, IRB should not be used as political tools for intimidation

Government instruments such as MACC and the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) should not be abused as political tools to intimidate those against the governing party, said Sabah Chief Minister Shafie Apdal.

The Warisan president said this in a media interview in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday when asked to comment on MACC's actions against individuals linked to his party, including vice-president Peter Anthony.

"This should not be a practice for anyone.

"We should go by the law. Apply (the law) when it is necessary. And if the law finds the accused guilty, then let it be.

"But you cannot use them (government bodies) as tools to garner support, to convince people by intimidation," he stressed.

Shafie said he had been a victim of such practice as well, citing his MACC arrest in 2017 over an alleged graft case involving RM7.5 billion.

The arrest came barely two years after Shafie was sacked from former premier Najib Abdul Razak's cabinet in 2015, when he challenged the latter over his handling of the 1MDB scandal.

"I was jailed before the election, not for accepting an offer... but for objecting 1MDB. That was quite clear," he claimed.

Malaysiakini has contacted the office of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki for comments.

Shafie said Pakatan Harapan had the chance to adopt such tactics when it was in power but did not do so.

"We were in the government for the last two years. We didn't do what they are doing now. We didn't use income tax, we didn't use pressure," he added.

However,  Shafee said in the case of 1MDB investigations, it was different.

The Warisan leader said 1MDB is an international issue that had caught the attention of not only Malaysians but the world.

"We have never used the instruments (of government) to harass people.

"Well, I had my chance (then). I could have just directed those guys (enforcement officers) to go to this house or that house (raids).

"But we didn't do that. We just wanted to run the country for the people," he added.

Similar accusations against the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government had also been made by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

On June 5, Mahathir told a press conference that PN was using enforcement agencies like the MACC to pressure the opposition.

This came after MACC arrested several Bersatu Youth members aligned to Mahathir.

Last month, Warisan's Peter (above) was slapped with a total of six criminal charges in Kota Kinabalu.

The Sabah infrastructure development minister was scheduled to face more charges at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court later the same month but this was postponed as he was hospitalised for vertigo.

Also in June, MACC announced that it was looking for a man, who worked as an aide for Warisan leader Mohammadin Ketapi when the latter was holding the tourism minister portfolio under the Harapan administration.