THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is seeking to remand Penang government exco Phee Boon Poh of DAP for seven days.

The exco, in charge of the environment, is a four-term assemblyman. He is being probed for allegedly using his position for gratification.

His lawyers Ramkarpal Singh and RSN Rayer said they are appealing against the remand application to Registrar Ameera Mastura Khamis.

“We have not been allowed to even speak to Phee for instructions. The court is standing down to make a ruling,” he said.

Phee, 65, who is Sungai Puyu assemblyman, is being investigated over letters he wrote concerning an illegal carbon filter processing factory that had been running for over 10 years on farm land in an oil palm estate.

It is learnt that the letters were written last year seeking postponement of enforcement action against the factory.

The Penang government’s policy is to solve issues of illegal structures built before 2008 amicably, as long as it did not pose problems to the public.

MACC and various federal authorities raided the factory in Sungai Lembu, Bukit Mertajam on Thursday. They also took documents from a Seberang Prai Municipal councillor.

Yesterday morning, MACC officers went to see Phee at his office in Komtar and took some documents. In the afternoon, Phee was told to go to the Penang MACC office for his statement to be recorded.

He was told he would be arrested while his statement was being taken. Rayer who was with him told the media that Phee’s arrest was ordered by Putrajaya MACC.

A group of some 200 supporters, including Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Penang exco and state DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow, Deputy Chairman Zairil Khir Johari, and DAP and PKR assemblymen, were also at court this morning to show support for Phee.

When Phee arrived with MACC officers at about 10.10am, the group shouted, “Sokong Boon Poh” (support for Boon Poh), “Tangkap MO1” (arrest Malaysian Official 1) and “MACC jangan buli” (MACC don’t bully).

The father of four and grandfather of one was wearing the orange MACC lockup t-shirt and was handcuffed. He was seen waving at family members from the car.

Lim questioned the grounds of Phee’s MACC arrest, merely for writing letters in his capacity as environmental exco.

“He had been dealing with the issue as exco due to complaints (about the factory). But this here is a corruption probe. He didn’t take any money.

“In Penang, we all know well that he was rich long before he became exco,” he said, referring to Phee’s personal wealth from his family business.

Lim said if an exco’s letters based one state policy could become a matter of corruption, he wanted to know what MACC thought of cases in some Barisan Nasional-ruled states.

He cited as examples a reclamation project in Kedah approved without a detailed environmental impact assessment; the Lynas, bauxite mining and the logging in permanent forest reserve controversies in Pahang.

Following Phee’s arrest, Lim said he had told his excos and assemblymen to expect more trouble from federal authorities.

“We will face the challenges. We have done nothing wrong. We are a clean government.

“We have nothing to hide or to run from. We will face it,” he said.

Phee’s younger brother Boon Chee, who was at the court complex, said he heard the news of his brother’s arrest as soon as he landed in Penang.

“I heard about it at 7pm. I was overseas… the family is doing okay.

“At this point, we all don’t know what the charges are. But there is no reason to fear when he has done no wrong,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 70-year-old manager of the illegal factory and his director son, 37, were also brought to court for remand at the same time this morning.

Counsels Dev Kumaraendran, V Pathipan, Khor Chai Koan and Teh See Khoon appeared for the father and son. – August 12, 2017.