Liew: No cause for MACC to reopen probe against Taib

PARLIAMENT | There is no new lead for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to reopen its graft probe against Sarawak Governor Abdul Taib Mahmud (photo, above), de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong said.

In a parliamentary reply, Liew acknowledged that MACC received information from whistleblower website Sarawak Report and environmental NGO Bruno Manser Fund.

But Liew said this information was similar to the previous investigation paper opened by MACC before.

"They were not new evidence that would allow MACC to open a new investigation paper," he told Dr Kelvin Yii (Harapan-Bandar Kuching).

"There is no obstruction for MACC to reopen its investigation if there is new evidence," he said.

"(Previously), the attorney-general had studied the case presented before him and decided there would not be any prosecution," he said.

Yii asked if MACC would reopen the probe against Taib and individuals close to him on the corruption allegation and abuse of power following new evidence provided by Sarawak Report and Bruno Manser.

In May 2018, Bruno Manser offered to share new information with MACC against the former Sarawak chief minister.

Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown also returned to Malaysia to pursue the same course last year.

In June 2018, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government could not take action against Taib without new complaints.

In July 2018, former MACC chief commissioner Mohd Shukri Abdullah said the commission was unable to take action against Taib despite opening 15 case files against him.

Shukri said the files were opened in 2015 and 2016, with investigations showing there were no cases that could be linked to Taib, as the decisions were made by others.

Earlier this month, PSM urged current MACC Chief Commissioner Latheefa Koya to reopen the probe against Taib.

Taib served as the chief minister of Sarawak from 1981 to 2014.

His tenure was riddled with allegations of corruption, unbridled deforestation and claims that his family members had extensive business interests in government projects.