Shafie: I’m ready to meet MACC

(The Star) – Parti Warisan Sabah president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal claims the probe into the siphoning of rural project funds is politically motivated, but that he is ready to meet graft busters.

“I can help in the investigations and tell them what they want to know but don’t fabricate anything.

“I’m seeing allegations that those companies are Shafie’s proxies. Please don’t tell people that all the companies and money belong to me,” he told reporters on arrival at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here on Friday.

Shafie’s key ally, Warisan vice-president Datuk Peter Anthony, and two others were arrested on Thursday by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for investigations into the siphoning of more than RM100mi from rural project funds.

Shafie, who arrived to a cheering crowd shouting “lawan tetap lawan” at the airport, said he was wondering why he was not investigated while he was Rural and Regional Development Minister.

“When I was in the ministry, there were no problems. Why now?

“I have no links to the companies under probe,” said Shafie, a former Umno vice-president who quit the party last year and later formed Parti Warisan.

He said that under him, the ministry had scored good marks for its performance in managing projects for the poor and rural communities.

“We have been scored ‘good’ many times. We performed. It is not that we did not perform,” Shafie said.

He said that the ministry’s performance was based on facts, not lies.

Shafie said he was opposed to the siphoning of government funds meant for the people and urged his supporters not to worry.

“When I was in the ministry, what was important was the people and country’s interests, not my own,” he said.

Shafie urged Warisan supporters to keep calm and not do anything that could jeopardise the party’s political mission while the MACC conducted its investigations.