KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said its investigation into the JanaWibawa scheme was the result of information obtained independently and not launched because it had been ordered to do so as alleged.
After former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was released on bail by the commission yesterday, he alleged that the MACC appeared to be acting on instructions from “above”.
Today, the MACC rejected the allegation and insisted its entire investigation was the result of its independent effort.
“The investigation papers were also referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers for its review and consideration. The investigation process was free from interference by any party.
“Consequently, claims that the MACC investigation was undertaken on the orders of certain parties or politically motivated are wholly false and jeopardises the image of the commission,” it said in a statement today.
Earlier today, Muhyiddin was charged with four counts of corruption and two counts of money laundering, becoming the latest Bersatu leader to be prosecuted over the Bumiputera assistance scheme launched when he was the prime minister.
The Jana Wibawa, or “Program Jana Ekonomi Pemerkasaan Kontraktor Bumiputera Berwibawa”, was launched with the professed aim of improving the capacity and resilience of Bumiputera contractors in construction, ostensibly to support Malaysia’s post-pandemic recovery.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced on February 15 that the national unity government has suspended JanaWibawa projects worth billions of ringgit over suspected irregularities.
Last month, the MACC charged Bersatu’s Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan with accepting millions of ringgit in bribes to assist a Nepturis Sdn Bhd secure federal infrastructure projects. The same firm was also named in one of the charges against Muhyiddin today.
The commission has also charged Segambut Bersatu division deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad and Datuk Teo Wee Cheng, a director of SSH Furniture Sdn Bhd, in relation to the JanaWibawa scheme.
Today, Muhyiddin maintained that the charges against him and others over the JanaWibawa scheme were fabricated and intended to damage his Perikatan Nasional coalition ahead of six state elections this year.
He further alleged that the prosecution was meant to put his party on par with Umno, which is part of the current government and whose president Zahid remains on trial for corruption.
“Since I did not accept bribes, they created another offence to confirm the Umno president’s claim that there will be a new court cluster among the leaders of Perikatan Nasional. He wants to compare himself with me.
“It is definitely different. He was accused of using foundation money for personal use. As for me, not one cent of the money went into my pocket,” he said during a press conference after being charged this morning.
Today, Muhyiddin became the second Malaysian prime minister to be charged with corruption, after Datuk Seri Najib Razak who has already been convicted in one of his cases.
In the 15th general election, Muhyiddin had appeared set to return as the prime minister after his PN coalition’s unexpectedly strong performance, but was denied when an unlikely alliance of the other remaining coalitions allowed Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to gain the appointment instead.
