Warisan mum on the MACC action
Published on: Friday, October 06, 2017
Kota Kinabalu: Warisan Sabah has declined comment on the seizure the past few days by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of more than RM150 million allegedly involving the Rural and Regional Development Ministry previously led by its President, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal. There have been unconfirmed reports that Warisan Vice President Peter Anthony was also detained, Thursday, by MACC."Unless and until a name has been mentioned, then we will comment. Now we reserve our comment," said Warisan Sec-Gen. Loretto Padua Jr, after officiating the Warisan Wira and Wiranita inaugural committee meeting, Thursday.
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Shafie, the MP for Semporna, held the portfolio until 2015 when he was sacked following some severe criticisms he made against the scandal-hit 1MDB.MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad had said anti-graft officers earlier froze bank accounts containing more than RM150 million in connection with the alleged theft of funds from the Ministry over several years.Another RM29 million in bank accounts were also frozen Thursday, he said in his speech at the 9th International Conference on Financial Crime and Terrorism Financing in Kuala Lumpur."Yesterday we have frozen more than RM150 million in the bank account in a recent Sabah case and I was told just now another RM29 million (in the bank account) have been frozen," he said.
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The MACC had yet to reveal the name of the Ministry concerned. Media reports said the frozen funds in the MACC investigation were supposedly siphoned off by officials believed to be working in cahoots with several companies.The funds were for projects to improve basic amenities and infrastructure, such as the upgrading of water and electricity supplies, as well as the repair and maintenance of roads in areas where the hardcore poor lived.
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One of the initiatives from which funds had been siphoned was the Poor Students' Food Programme. The culprits were believed to have pocketed more than RM100 million.However, some of the suspects in the scheme were believed to have slipped up when Bank Negara Malaysia's Suspicious Transaction Report alert system detected the movement of large amounts of money in their accounts.Loretto said they have received 100,000 membership applications and have so far managed to key in up to 45,000 of which 20 per cent are young people. He said not all have been approved because they have to vet everything. Also present was Warisan Wira Chief Dato Mohd Azis Jamman who said their focus now is on the purpose and objective of the party."For Warisan Wira Sabah, most are fresh members, some of them do not have political experience but have come forward because of the awareness to do something for the country and Sabah, in particular," he said. He said the committee comprises multiracial professionals, ranging from doctors, engineers, lawyers and entrepreneurs, adding that it shows Warisan is truly multiracial. On the possibility of Warisan working with other parties, Loretto said the door is still open for negotiation "if the interest of Sabah is taken care of because Warisan exists based on demand from Sabahans, thus we have to work for Sabahans." "This is the time for Sabahans to trust Sabahans and that is why Warisan is a good platform because we have to learn from history. "I think it is time to trust Sabahans more, for us to remove Umno from Sabah is not easy thus it is about time to prioritise Sabah because no one knows Sabah better than Sabahans." On Pakatan Harapan's manifesto, he said: "I don't want to comment, I take it positively because they are fellow opposition, they too want to topple Barisan Nasional. "We respect their fight, but for us, in any manifesto you have to be realistic and not just mere promises which cannot be fulfilled." Azis said Pakatan Harapan's promise to create a second Deputy Prime Minister post specifically for Sabah and Sarawak is a good sign. "It shows that even Pakatan Harapan sees how important Sabah is in the formation of the future federal government," he said. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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