The Mecca Trip with Tajuddin Ramli’s Proxy: No Comment from the Attorney-General
Din Merican
Attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail has declined to give any comments to define his relationship or friendship with former Malaysia Airlines System chairperson Tajuddin Ramli’s proxy, Shahidan Shafie.
Similarly, Shahidan, a lawyer and former police officer, also refused to comment on the issue when contacted by Malaysiakini. Malaysiakini had asked Abdul Gani on whether he was together with Shahidan on their recent haj pilgrimage to Mecca, but the attorney-general said, “Later you will quote me of saying all this.”
When asked further, Gani replied, “No comment” on whether he wanted to deny the allegations.
Yesterday, Social Care Foundation chairperson Robert Phang Miow Sin (left) wanted Abdul Gani to go on record to clear up several allegations made on the Malaysia Today website over the adverse public speculation on the AG’s relationship with Shahidan.
This follows an allegation that Abdul Gani had allegedly decided not to take action against Tajuddin, despite recommendations made by former Commercial Crime Investigation Director Dato’ Ramli Yusof.
The allegation that Abdul Gani and his family had shared a trip with Shahidan on the same package was another reason for alarm, resulting in Phang calling for answers.
Phang, who is also a member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s consultative and advisory panel, said the MACC is entitled to investigate the AG if there was a directive to do so by the Prime Minister’s Department.
The Malaysia Today website had in September and November claimed it was Shahidan who had convinced Abdul Gani not to press charges against Tajuddin.
Tajuddin, who was MAS’ executive chairperson from 1994 to 2001, has been largely been blamed for the national carrier suffering losses amounting to more than RM8 billion, which is mainly due to the move to relocate MAS’ cargo operations from Amsterdam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany.
MAS had also filed several reports against Tajuddin with the MACC, and the national airline and the government had also initiated a suit against the former MAS chairperson. The entrepreneur had also launched a counter-claim.
