KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has found no indication that funds granted by the Prime Minister’s Department to non-governmental organisations have been pocketed by certain quarters internally.
MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki today also dismissed claims that pro-Perikatan Nasional blogger Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah was recently arrested.
“I must address this. She was never arrested, she was only called in to have her statement recorded to aid in an ongoing investigation.
“We received claims that funds given by the department to NGOs have been pocketed by some parties in the department. We investigated this claim and based on the investigating officers’ report, there was no indication that supports such claims.
“The funds were given by the government after the NGOs’ applications were approved,” he told reporters when met after the Certified Integrity Officer convocation at World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur today.
Recently, it was reported that former PKR member Syarul Ema – also popularly known as “Ratu Naga” – had been picked up and taken in an MACC car to the anti-graft agency’s headquarters in Putrajaya.
Her lawyer Nabila Khairuddin claimed that Syarul Ema was denied access to legal representation and barred from seeing her husband when she was at the headquarters.
However, Azam dismissed such claims and maintained that Syarul Ema was called in to have her statement taken and that she was not arrested.
Previous reports also said she was called in over alleged “rewards” that she allegedly received for helping NGOs to get “grants”. – February 22, 2024