KUALA LUMPUR – Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has dismissed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) demand for Bersatu MP Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan to lodge a report on his claim of alleged inducements to support the government.
Hamzah pointed to the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, which affords lawmakers legal immunity for statements made in Parliament.
“The MACC cannot interfere (and set) one or two weeks (for an MP to lodge a report). When the time is right, a report will be made,” Hamzah said briefly when asked to comments on the matter during a press conference after the Perikatan Nasional (PN) convention today.
On March 4, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said that the anti-graft agency is giving Wan Saiful, a Bersatu Supreme Council member, one week to lodge a report on his claim that several individuals promised him rewards if he declared support for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Azam said that under the MACC Act 2009, it is the responsibility of any individuals offered bribes to quickly report the offence so that further action can be taken.
This came after Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful alleged in the Dewan Rakyat on February 28 that he was induced to switch support to the government, with several figures offering him financial remuneration and promising the dropping of his corruption charges.
His claims immediately drew outcry from government backbenchers, who stood up to interject his speech, telling him to restate his claim outside the house, where MPs do not have immunity for things said inside Parliament.
To date, six Bersatu MPs and one state assemblyman have switched allegiance to support Anwar, but without quitting the party, thereby retaining their seats.
This has prompted Bersatu to propose an amendment to its constitution, which seeks to automatically terminate the membership of elected representatives if they support any other party or policy not aligned with Bersatu’s position. – March 9, 2024