Teresa Kok: Charges against Selangor MB politically motivated
By Neville Spykerman, The Malaysian Insider
Selangor senior executive councillor Teresa Kok said the ongoing corruption investigation on the Selangor Menteri Besar appears to be politically motivated and smacks of double standards.
"The whole episode seems to be linked to the political situation in Perak where the Barisan National (BN) is being frustrated by a political impasse of its own doing." Said the Teratai assemblyman.
She also suggested that it had something to do with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's revelation in Parliament yesterday about the tactics used by BN to coerce and induce Pakatan Rakyat (PR) elected representatives to switch camps.
She said the fact that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) moved with such speed on what may be, at most, a minor technical infarction leads one to wonder about the purported independence and fearlessness of the body.
Meanwhile Khalid's lawyer Sankara N. Nair said he regretted the statement released by the MACC chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan where he indicated there was strong evidence on the misuse of power by his client.
He said previously it was the norm for the MACC not to issue statements about the culpability of a person being investigated.
"It is quite disturbing the MACC has, in this instance, in respect of my client, being an opposition politician, is singled out to look "guilty" in the eyes of the public before he is charged or convicted in court."
Sankara questioned why Ahmad Said prejudged his client and urged the MACC to act professionally.
He added that he has advised Khalid to refrain from making any statements on the matter as he is the subject of investigations.
In a written statement to the Press, Khalid said he is aware that of the ongoing MACC investigations and all further comments on the matter would be made by his lawyer.
Meanwhile Selangor BN and Umno chairman Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib said it was up to the MACC and the Attorney General to take the necessary action against Khalid.
The Rural and Regional Development Minister declined to comment further.
