POLITICIANS must stop using the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to take down their rivals, said Latheefa Koya.

The MACC chief said some reports lodged with the agency were “clearly” politically motivated.

She said MACC has long been misused as a political tool to attack leaders, and this makes it hard for graft-busters to maintain professionalism and integrity.

“We strive to be professional, and we do not want MACC to be used as a tool. We will investigate when we receive complaints, but there must be a basis to these claims.

“There are many cases where people come and report, and later, expose their reports to the media. Some politicians feel that we don’t look at their cases,” she told reporters after visiting Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Shafie Apdal in Kota Kinabalu today.

It is Latheefa’s first visit to the Sabah capital as MACC chief after being appointed to the post in June.

Her remarks today were in reference to calls by a state opposition leader for MACC to reopen its probe into a RM155 million land sale to the Rubber Industry Smallholders Authority.

The case involves lawyer Michael Persius Ubu, who reportedly failed to show up at the MACC office despite being summoned early last year along with Parti Warisan Sabah vice-president Peter Anthony.

Anthony, who is now state infrastructure development minister, was remanded for three days. The case was not pursued after the anti-graft agency failed to track down Ubu.

Latheefa said MACC will investigate cases so long as the allegations made have a basis.

“Nothing has stopped just because someone has come into power.”

Asked whether the agency is probing into high-profile cases involving Sabahans, she said it is “looking into some” and will provide an update once the investigations are completed. – September 11, 2019.