MACC — old whine in new bottle

(The Malaysian Insider) The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was supposed to be better than the disgraced Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) when it took over at the start of the year.

Today, we can call that statement and the MACC, "old whine in new bottle" as we did seven weeks after it was created when The Malaysian Insider declared MACC dead on arrival.

Because today, we can't find a reason to change our view. And we doubt many Malaysians can too.

For the biggest corruption allegation in the last few weeks is the palatial mansion of former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo. Some call it Kraton Toyo, in reference to his Javanese roots, but the Balinese design bungalow would be termed a pura in the Isle of Gods — and in Bahasa Malaysia, double the pura would mean to pretend (pura-pura).

And that would be true of the MACC. They are pretending they haven't heard about it.

Their absolute silence on the matter is deafening. And the silence from Khir's party leaders such as prime minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak is equally deafening.

Only the man who promoted Khir to lead a state, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has raised issues with the bungalow, saying it does appear to cost more than Khir's modest RM3.5 million claim.

Of course, the MACC has also been silent on other allegations.

For example, its investigations into corruption, or money politics in Umno parlance, within Umno Youth. Victorious Khairy Jamaluddin's supporters were called in after the party elections but precious little has been heard since then.

Khir too has been smeared with such talk but he remains free to enjoy his mansion.

Yet, the MACC has been quick to investigate Umno's rivals.

Read more at: MACC — old whine in new bottle — The Malaysian Insider