Unhappy with no probe on Taib, S'wak MP to meet MACC chief

Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii has vowed to meet with MACC chief Latheefa Koya to discuss the possibility of opening investigations into Abdul Taib Mahmud.

This is despite Yii receiving the "recycled" answer that the authorities are not able to pursue a case against the Sarawak governor.

On Wednesday, de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong said in a parliamentary reply that the MACC had received no new evidence to initiate an investigation against Taib, who also served as chief minister of Sarawak from 1981 to 2014.

Responding to a question from Yii, Liew noted that information received from Sarawak Report and environmental NGO Bruno Manser Fund did not shed new light on previous investigation papers.

Questioned on Liew's reply, Yii said that the previous 15 MACC investigation papers were closed by former attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail.

"So my argument is just because he (Gani) decided not to prosecute (Taib), that does not mean there is no basis (to re-investigate).

"...(This is) the same answer I received several times already, these are recycled answers," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

As such, Yii (photo) stated that he would soon be pursuing the matter with the MACC chief commissioner herself.

"But I won't reveal the (meeting) date. I am going to talk with the new MACC chief on conducting a new investigation," he said.

Yii also urged Attorney-General Tommy Thomas to review the matter.

Replying to a question, also from Yii, in the Dewan Rakyat last year, Liew said that Taib had been cleared of all wrongdoing by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

The minister pointed out that Gani had closed all files on Taib in 2013.

Former MACC chief Mohd Shukri Abdull said last July that the commission was unable to take action against Taib despite having opened 15 case files against him in 2015 and 2016.

The investigators, Shukri said, were unable to link Taib to any wrongdoing, as all decision-making was handled by other parties.

During his tenure as chief minister, Taib was repeatedly accused of corruption and facilitating extensive logging activities in Sarawak. 

Members of his family were also alleged to have had extensive business interests in government projects.