SHAH ALAM: The State Government hopes that the recent series of raids by MACC at Selangor state executive councillors’ offices is not done in bad faith to intentionally tarnish the Pakatan Rakyat administration.

While the state supports efforts to curb corruption and abuse of power, the state will not tolerate any attempts to obstruct the running of its administration through repeated harassment against its officers.

The State Government would also like to stress that the Selangor state government circular dated July 28, 2009, which requires the MACC to conduct interrogations on state officials between 8am and 6.30am with the presence of a lawyer still stands.

The challenge by the Attorney General Tan Sri Gani Patail on the legality of the circular is ongoing. It is hoped that MACC and its officials will respect the circular, which protects all state employees’ rights.

The State also notes that to date all MACC investigations on state officials including that of the Menteri Besar, has focused on frivolous issues as depicted in yesterday’s raid on the office of YB Yaakob Sapari and the remand of his executive officer Hussein Ahmad.

The State is also alarmed by the information that MACC had conducted a search to Hussein’s home without a proper warrant. “The State Government demands an an explanation from MACC Selangor on the illegal search,” said Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
Furthermore, the MACC investigation involves a company that is not in fact within the contract award list for sand-mining activities. The accusation that an official trip to China was paid for by a contractor is also false, as the State government covered the RM3,295 for Hussein’s two-day trip.

It is therefore puzzling that MACC has spent substantial time and manpower to investigate these issues while cases involving millions of ringgits of the rakyat’s money have not been properly investigated including the RM1.7 million spent for the former Selangor Menteri Besar and his entourage to visit two Disneyland theme parks in the United States and France.

“What are the priorities of the MACC? It needs to set its priorities right so that it would not be seen as a political tool. If it acted professionally and independently, the state would have no qualms in providing assistance,” said Tan Sri Abdul Khalid.

PRESS SECRETARIAT
OFFICE OF SELANGOR MENTERI BESAR