PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob must accept the fact that people have every right to ask questions especially in cases where there are concerns over decisions made by the authorities.
“He cannot just ask people to sit back and accept such decisions,” said Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo.
Gobind was referring to the PM saying that the decision of the Securities Commission (SC) on Malaysia Anti-Corruption (MACC) chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki’s trading account should be accepted by all parties.
“This call by the PM demonstrates a total failure in leadership on his part and a total failure on the part of his Government to deal with institutional problems which have a huge impact on the country,” added the DAP lawmaker.
“In this case, no reasons were at first given explaining why the inquiry was unable to conclude that section 25(4) was breached.
“When pressed for an answer, the SC issued a second statement which alluded to independent evidence which appears to contradict what Azam said in a press conference on Jan 10, 2022.
“I want the Prime Minister to explain this. If he is unable to, then who is he to insist that we just accept such a decision?”
According to Gobind, the Prime Minister should also refer to Article 145 of the Federal Constitution and respect the fact that it is the Attorney-General (AG) – not he or the SC – who should decide whether any action should be taken.
“The AG should do this after all authorities involved have completed their investigations into the matter and have forwarded their findings and reports to him – this process must be respected.
“It is most unfortunate that the Prime Minister has taken this approach in dealing with this matter. He should have taken the opportunity to show his Government’s commitment to transparency and institutional reforms.” – Jan 20, 2022
