PENANG has invited Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Dzulkifli Ahmad to Komtar on Friday to “discuss” the state’s signing of the Anti-Corruption Pledge (IBR).

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state administration wanted to meet the agency’s chief commissioner to discuss the inclusion of 10 anti-corruption initiatives already undertaken by the state.

This, said Lim, was the only way Penang would agree to the pledge.

“I have discussed with exco members, and they have agreed to sign the ‘IBR 10 Plus’ this Friday, provided that it includes the state government’s 10 integrity measures.

“This demonstrates our sincerity and commitment to combating corruption, as well as to not allow the matter to be exploited by the Barisan Nasional-controlled media to politically lynch Penang,” he said in a statement today.

The 10 integrity measures include putting in practice the state government’s principles of CAT (competent, accountable and transparent), practising open competitive tenders, and institutionalising the public declaration of assets by the chief minister, state executive council members and assemblymen.

Members of the administration are also banned from getting approvals for state land, their families are not allowed to do business with or gain contracts from the state government and they are not allowed to receive personal “donations”.

Full protection must be accorded to genuine whistle-blowers, provisions to take action against government leaders who live beyond their means put in place and transparency in political contributions ensured.

Lim reiterated that Penang had no problem signing the pledge to combat corruption.

“The ‘IBR 10 Plus’ will be signed on July 28 by all members of the Penang government’s administration, assemblymen and members of parliament.

“MACC can organise the pledge for us or do it jointly with the Penang government.”

Yesterday, Lim questioned why MACC appeared to be targeting Penang for not signing the pledge when there were other states, including BN-ruled ones, that had not inked the IBR.

He said MACC never invited the state to do so, and Penang had no idea that it had to volunteer to sign it.

On Monday, Dzulkifli said MACC was “appalled” by Penang’s apparent snub of the pledge, and that he wanted to know why Lim required an invitation for it to be signed.

It has been more than two weeks since the commission and Penang government traded blows over the pledge issue. – July 26, 2017.