Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today stressed that investigations into the littoral combat ship (LCS) project must continue because it created a large scandal and involved leakage.
He said earlier prosecution did not even involve the main culprits behind the project.
“My instruction is that the investigation must continue, including on the LCS project because I think earlier action was not enough to uncover and find the real culprits in the case…so, let the investigations continue.”
Anwar said this in reply to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari’s (Pasir Mas-PN) supplementary question about governance issues during Minister’s Question Time in Dewan Rakyat today.
He said the instruction had been forwarded to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for further action and the agency had informed him that there would be another round of prosecution.
Anwar also stressed that his instruction to the enforcement agencies, including MACC, was comprehensive and not just focussed on a particular political party.
“That’s why there was a case of Shah Alam Umno chief being charged but not being focussed on. Meaning, if MACC has solid evidence for anyone to be prosecuted, the attorney-general should accept their prosecution proposal,” he said.
While reiterating his stance that he would not interfere in any court case involving a political leader, Anwar also hit out at the opposition and denied their allegation that he had interfered in the court case of Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, including to reduce and withdraw the charges.
“Do you have evidence that Anwar interfered? If you don’t have evidence, then you are being cruel, using religion and making accusations…mentioning my name.
“I did not interfere. You can ask the MACC and the attorney-general. I support actions based on solid facts and evidence, but don’t be cruel, and don’t make a bland allegation which can be challenged and disputed.
“Don’t be so quick to judge me. I’m not a low-class politician,” he said.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said the government had taken several steps to ensure good governance, including stopping all direct negotiations and ensuring projects go through a tender process.
He acknowledged there was a need to allocate projects to Bumiputera contractors, but it would have to go through a tender process as well.
He said 475 chief digital officers had been appointed as digitalisation leaders in agencies in a bid to improve the governance and digitalisation of the public sector.
The Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit was also reassigned to focus on planning and administrative management, in addition to establishing the Implementation Monitoring Committee Cloud Framework Agreement.