All Barisan candidates must be cleared by MACC, says Najib

(The Malaysian Insider) – All Barisan Nasional election candidates must be vetted and cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Barisan chairman, said it was the coalition’s standard practice to submit names of its potential candidates to the MACC to be vetted.

“All Barisan candidates go through the vetting process by MACC. We refer their names to MACC, and if they have doubtful files, they will not pass the vetting process.

“It is the stand of Barisan that every candidate must pass the MACC vetting process,” he told the Malaysian media delegation here yesterday.

He was responding to a suggestion by the MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chairman Datuk Johan Jaafar that all political parties send their list of candidates for vetting by the commission.

Najib is in New Delhi to attend the two-day Asean-India Commemo-rative Summit, which celebrates 20 years of Asean-India relationship.

Asked if the electoral candidates list has been finalised, Najib said it was an ongoing process.

“Although we have a list, if we get the latest input or information, changes can be made as long as the announcement (of the candidacy) has not been made,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as saying that the proposal for candidates to be vetted by the MACC would prevent any problems later if the candidates were found to be involved in corruption after they were elected.

“I’m all for it because we do not want to find out later that the candidate has problems and a by-election has to be called.

“This will not only involve costs, but also inconvenience the people,” Shafie told reporters after a working visit to the Tok Bali fishermen resettlement project in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, yesterday.