Five opposition MPs have urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to reveal the findings of its probe into how women, family, and community development minister Rina Harun managed to settle a million-ringgit debt.
The MPs from five different parties wanted MACC to reveal how she managed to accumulate so much wealth and pay off her debt in such a short time as this would not have been possible based on the list of assets she had declared over a year ago.
According to the MACC’s asset declaration record of cabinet ministers released last July, Rina had a monthly income of RM34,004.48 and assets valued at less than RM1 million.
The MACC no longer makes such information public. The publication of asset declarations was initiated during the Pakatan Harapan administration.
“Delaying investigations into the Perikatan Nasional minister will only give rise to negative perceptions among the public towards MACC’s integrity as an independent and fair body.”
The five MPs issued the statement in response to the MACC’s decision to charge Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman with misappropriating RM1.12 million in funds allegedly belonging to Bersatu.
They said it was unfortunate that the government had to resort to using an institution like the MACC to pressure MPs who were not with it, in order to stay in power.
“It is very suspicious that both charges are made now when the alleged offence took place last year and before the 2018 election,” the group added.
The parliamentarians said they believed that the decision to charge Syed Saddiq was politically motivated.
The MPs who signed the joint statement were Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub, Pejuang secretary-general Amiruddin Hamzah, Warisan women’s chief Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis, PKR’s Sivarasa Rasiah and DAP’s Teo Nie Ching.
An MACC report was lodged against Rina in February, urging the anti-graft body to investigate how the Bersatu MP managed to settle her debt with a Paris-based production company.
Rina, who also heads the Bersatu women’s wing, was served a bankruptcy notice for debts owed to Novovision to the tune of RM1,340,642.02 as at Nov 17, 2020.
Lawyer Mark Ho, who represented the French company, said that the exact outstanding amount, which he declined to disclose, was paid in early February.
A statement of claim against Rina was filed on Nov 8, 2018, by the French firm stating that the full amount must be paid by July 31, 2019.
The claim was for several films, comedy shows and documentaries in the comedy genre sold to three companies in which Rina was a director.