Azmin: MACC probe on Sg Yu must not be based solely on Noh's report

MACC has been urged to ensure professional conduct in the reopening of investigations into the land scandal in Kampung Sungai Yu in Tanjong Karang.

Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali stressed that the probe must be conducted without any executive interference and not merely based on the report lodged by Selangor BN chairman Noh Omar.

"As I have emphasised, we want all enforcement agencies including MACC to behave in a professional manner that is free from any executive influences.

"This is not a question of opening or closing (the case) but (there must be) professional conduct, not merely following Noh Omar's instructions," Azmin told reporters after officiating the groundbreaking ceremony for the Section 24 mosque in Shah Alam today.

The MB's comments are in response to the statement issued by Noh (photo) yesterday alleging that the Selangor government is "narrow-minded" in questioning the reopening of investigations by MACC into the land scandal.

Selangor state assembly speaker Hannah Yeoh confirmed yesterday that MACC had raided the Selangor state secretariat building and the office of the state assemblyperson to take documents and other evidence pertaining to the land ownership in Kampung Sungai Yu.

According to Yeoh, the process of transferring ownership of the land by the Selangor government to the original settlers of Kampung Sungai Yu in Kuala Selangor did not follow the correct procedures, as found by the state government's select committee on competency, accountability and transparency (Selcat).

However, Yeoh claimed that the reopening of investigations by MACC was based on political motives.

In response to the accusation, Noh, who is also the minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, stated that the state assembly speaker should not have raised this matter.

He added that MACC's actions were reasonable if the commission had found any new evidence which warranted the reopening of investigation papers.

The land ownership issue was first raised by the Permatang assemblyperson Sulaiman Razak in 2016 and has resurfaced as a contentious issue in Selangor after the land distribution process which was accused of lacking transparency was found to have abuses of power, fraud and cronyism upon scrutiny by Selcat.

Mat Taib questions MB's silence on Bugis issue

On a separate matter, Azmin who is also the MP for Gombak slammed former Selangor Menteri Besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib (photo) for questioning his purported silence on the "Bugis pirate" controversy involving the Selangor sultan.

Azmin stressed that Muhammad's statement was nothing more than Umno's attempt at politicising the situation in Selangor.

"When he stole the money (previously) that was not in the interest of protecting the nation's sovereignty. Taking millions of ringgit is not a problem for him.

"This is the Umno mentality which is trying to politicise today's situation (in Selangor). Let's look back at 1993 during which the image of the royal institutions was destroyed by Umno itself, not by any other parties.

"Umno is the betrayer of the institution of Malay rulers," said Azmin.

Muhammad, who is known as Mat Taib, had stated he did not fathom why Azmin chose to remain silent even when Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (photo) had raised the matter twice within the span of a month.

The Selangor sultan had chastised former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad last month for allegedly mocking those with Bugis ancestry during a speech he made at the anti-kleptocracy rally in October.

A month later, during the sultan's birthday celebration last week, the ruler once again berated Mahathir on the same issue.

The ruler also stated that Mahathir was "angry" and would "raze" the nation.

The sultan further expressed concerns that certain quarters were capitalising on the use of sensitive issues to forward their narrow political agendas, which would then jeopardise the tranquillity and harmony of the country.

The second royal rebuke then led the former prime minister and his wife Siti Hasmah Ali to return the awards they had received from the Selangor palace.- Mkini