SHAH ALAM: Three non-governmental organisations today hands over a memorandum urging the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to reveal the progress of its probe into the Selangor state government’s takeover deal of Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor (Splash).
The NGOs — Pertubuhan Suara Rakyat Marhaen (Suara), Badan Amal Tarbiah Sejagat (Batas), and Pertubuhan Gerakan Penegak Suara Selangor (Gapenas) — also called for Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali to reveal whether the deal has been sealed and the amount agreed by the state government and Splash management.
Suara advisor Zamil Ibrahim, who acted as the NGOs’ spokesman, said MACC must reveal the progress into their investigations as it had been 43 days since they (NGOs) lodged a report with the commission over the issue.
“We lodged a report with Selangor MACC on Nov 15, and since then there has been no update whatsoever.
“MACC should tell us whether the investigation is ongoing, completed or if they did not even investigate our report against Azmin and Splash following the discrepancies between the amount of takeover during Azmin’s administration and his predecessor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
“The rakyat deserves to know, as the takeover involves a great deal of taxpayer’s money, up to billions of Ringgit, while at the same time they are suffering due to water supply problems,? he told reporters after handing over the memorandum at the Selangor MACC office in Section 14, here.
Also present were Gapenas Selangor chairman Nasiruddin Mahamed and Batas Malaysia Supreme Council member Hafarizam Haron. Zamil said they are giving MACC 14 days to respond, after which the NGOs would file a complaint with the Public Complaints Bureau.
“As far as we know, MACC had not called Tan Sri Khalid, who had been willing to give his statements and facilitate investigations.
“At the same time, Azmin had been speaking like he was acting on behalf of Splash, while Splash chairman Tan Sri Wan Azmi Wan Hamzah has kept mum over the takeover discussions. Whether they have been called by MACC, we do not know.
“When we met with the Selangor MACC representative today to hand over our memorandum, he told us that the investigation had been escalated to its headquarters in Putrajaya. Thus, we urge the MACC deputy chief commissioner to answer in 14 days, after which, if they still do not respond, we will go to Putrajaya to demand their answer and also lodge a complaint with the PCB.”
Azmin had, during the state assembly sitting in Nov, said that Khalid offered RM2.975 billion to takeover Splash’s equity.
However, in his response to Azmin, Khalid said the state government under his administration made the offer of RM2.975b for the whole0 takeover deal, and not for Splash’s equity alone.
Khalid claimed that this was much lower compared to the offer made by Azmin’s administration of RM2.7b only for Splash’s equity.
-New Straits Times
