CHIEF Minister Lim Guan Eng has once again questioned the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s independence and credibility, as the agency turns its attention to two state exco members over the undersea tunnel and highways project.

He said the state would fight against the matter if it was an effort to “frame” the Pakatan Harapan administration.

Today, MACC is questioning state public works, transportation and utilities exco Lim Hock Seng. Tomorrow, it will interview Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy.

Guan Eng said the excos had been instructed to give their full cooperation to MACC, despite the agency’s “bias”.

“Again, I want to ask, what is MACC doing? Why is MACC trying to frame the state government? If it wants to investigate, then do so independently.

“Our officers will give full cooperation. But if they want to frame us, we will fight them all the way in court.”

MACC has been investigating the state infrastructure project since early last month. It has raided the offices of several state government departments, the special purpose vehicle (SPV) undertaking the project, as well as private companies with business dealings with the SPV.

It also remanded the SPV’s top boss, a director of a development firm and several consultants to facilitate investigations, but has since released them.

Last month, mainstream newspapers quoted sources familiar with the investigation that politicians had received kickbacks of up to several million ringgit for their “cooperation” in the project.

Guan Eng has accused MACC of having lost its credibility.

He said a New Straits Times reporter had told him that the source that revealed the kickbacks was MACC itself.

“Barisan Nasional reporters admitted that the source of the leak was MACC. What is MACC doing, leaking investigation information to the press? We asked this before, but got no answer.

“Why are you doing BN’s dirty job? Are you BN’s secret weapon to run down the Penang government with baseless allegations by BN?

“It is ridiculous. It’s a disgrace… Are you conducting an independent investigation or a political persecution?”

He also questioned why MACC never looked into mega projects awarded via direct tender such as the federal government’s East Coast Rail Link project.

“I know they may want to act against me for saying so. I am waiting for them.

“They want to investigate an open-tender project, but not direct-tender projects. Is that not a form political persecution? We let the people decide.”

Guan Eng reiterated that there could be no corruption in the state’s project, which was awarded in 2013 via open tender to the SPV, then known as Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd.

“If they claim there was cheating, okay lah. There may be some cheating in any company or transaction.

“But how can there be corruption in an open tender, unless you are suggesting that people on the tender board are corrupt?”

He had previously said the state tender board comprised state government officers and was chaired by the state secretary.

There are no politicians on the board.

“It has been two years since MACC started looking at the project. Still, they are not done.

“Are they taking it up until the elections? How to not be angry when you see MACC not behaving professionally, but apparently, behaving politically?”

Guan Eng said he would not be surprised if state government leaders were “harassed” during the Chinese New Year celebrations, which start on Friday.

“You think they care? They will say they have to act according to evidence. But, don’t act when there is no basis or relevance to reality.”

Earlier, he said he had sent Prime Minister Najib Razak a letter today, along with a photograph showing he was present at the signing of the project’s memorandum of understanding.

The ceremony was held in Putrajaya on April 28, 2011. Also present was then Chinese prime minister Wen Jiabao.

Last week, Najib had said the proposed tunnel in Penang was a waste of public funds, and unnecessary.

“If he had not said anything, we won’t be asking him to explain,” said Guan Eng.

“He was at the MoU signing, so he was aware of the project. Suddenly, he criticises it as wasteful… it is quite surprising for him to make these remarks.

“If his presence at the ceremony was just protocol, it is for him to say so, not others. Let him explain his own reasons.” – February 13, 2018.