PAKATAN Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad has questioned the timing of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president Shafie Apdal’s arrest by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Dr Mahathir asked why MACC did not investigate Shafie while he was an Umno minister.

Speaking to the thousands of people at a PH ceramah outside Kedah Amanah headquarters in Alor Setar last night,  Dr Mahathir said government apparatuses such as MACC would be used to “catch people”.

“Yesterday, Shafie was arrested, supposedly for corruption and misappropriation of funds. MACC also took his brothers and relatives.

“It is alleged that the misappropriation happened when he was the rural and regional development minister. 

“Why didn’t they probe him when he was the minister? Why investigate him now? Because he is against Najib?” the former prime minister said.

Shafie was Umno vice-president when he was sacked from Najib’s cabinet in 2015, along with former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is now Bersatu president. Both paid the price for openly criticising and questioning Najib’s handling of the 1MDB scandal.

In late June last year, Shafie’s Umno membership was suspended and Muhyiddin and Mukhriz Mahathir, who were Umno deputy president and supreme council member, respectively, were sacked. 

Shafie announced his resignation from the party in the following month and went on to form opposition party, Warisan in his home state of Sabah.

Dr Mahathir said despite the many reports of Prime Minister Najib Razak allegedly stealing money, and the discovery of  RM2.6 billion in his account in 2013 shortly before the 13th general election, there was no investigation.

“Apandi said they checked and (found that) Najib did not do anything wrong. He said if you don’t believe, you can ask Najib,” he said, referring to Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali.

Apandi cleared Najib of any wrongdoing related to the RM2.6 billion “donation” from Saudi royalty and the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

“That is Najib’s law. You say you didn’t do it, you get off.

“When Shafie says he didn’t do it, he should be let off too. But he is still being probed,” Dr Mahathir said of the Sabah leader who is now under a four-day remand.

MACC is investigating some 350 projects to supply water and electricity as well as built roads in the rural parts of Sabah. 

The Rural and Regional Development Ministry had awarded the contracts for the projects to about 60 companies between 2009 and 2015, when Shafie was at the helm.

The anti-graft agency has questioned about 45 people in its investigation, including Shafie’s brothers, his nephew-in-law and several Warisan leaders. – October 21, 2017.