Abu Kassin the next top graft-buster?
Updated: Dr Mahathir has announced that Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull will return to lead the anti-graft agency.
Former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed had a meeting today with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He entered the Perdana Leadership Foundation building at about 8.30 am and was there for more than an hour, raising speculation as to whether the meeting was over his possible reappointment as the MACC chief commissioner.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting with Dr Mahathir, Abu Kassim said: “I only conveyed my views on several specific matters which Tun Mahathir felt he should know.”
Asked whether the meeting had anything to do with his possible reappointment as the MACC chief commissioner, Abu Kassim said: “I do not wish to say anything about that. The announcement must come from the Prime Minister.”
Another three candidates believed to have been shortlisted for the MACC post included top graft-buster Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull who retired from the MACC two years ago.
Shukri, 58, was MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) before going on retirement in 2016.
Known to be a strict and no-nonsense graft-buster, he had in 2015 headed investigations on the financial scandal of SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former subsidiary of 1MDB and later, a probe on the RM2.6 billion donation paid to the personal accounts of ex-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
In an emotional speech on his retirement day, Shukri had expressed his exasperation in the “unpleasant” turn of events during the course of investigating the cases, including accusations by certain quarters who alleged that the top brass of the MACC was out to topple the then Barisan Nasional government.
Shukri had reminded his personnel to stick to their course when battling corruption and not be intimidated by threats or slanderous comments made against them.
The others are top brass MACC officers who are now on secondment with other government enforcement agencies as director-general.
They were identified as Immigration Department director-general Datuk Mustafar Ali and Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Khalid.
On Monday, all four met with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad where issues on countering corruption in the country were discussed.