Bersama leader Rafizi Ramli has accused Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of sidestepping key issues surrounding allegations of a ‘corporate mafia’ involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Rafizi expressed disappointment with Anwar’s response to questions on the issue in the Dewan Rakyat today, saying the allegations went beyond the usual claims of corruption or abuse of power.
“The scandal refers to allegations of groups in enforcement agencies like MACC and the police who allegedly colluded with groups of businessmen to pressure other businessmen into ‘handing over’ their companies.
“The corporate mafia allegations are extraordinary because they claim that criminal syndicates have infiltrated key enforcement agencies.
“The questions regarding these allegations were not touched on or answered by Anwar in Parliament today,” the former PKR deputy president said in a statement.
Anwar cites weaknesses in enforcement system
Earlier, Anwar told the Dewan Rakyat that the government had inherited a system lacking transparency, allowing corporate crimes and market manipulation to go largely unchecked for decades.
He said weaknesses in the previous system meant enforcement action was rarely taken in major cases involving billions of ringgit in losses, including corporate takeovers and banking transactions allegedly influenced by political interference.
Anwar also alleged that several cases involving so-called corporate mafia activities were linked to an influential former finance minister who controlled substantial financial resources.
Anwar denies RM9.5 million allegation
The prime minister also denied an allegation that a current minister had received RM9.5 million from a businessman, describing it as a baseless political statement.
He said the minister concerned had taken the matter to court. Although Anwar did not name the minister, the person accused of receiving the money is Human Resources Minister R Ramanan.
Rafizi questioned whether Ramanan had actually initiated legal action, saying there had been no reports of such a move.
