THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is appalled by Penang’s apparent snub of the Corruption-Free Pledge, according to MACC chief commissioner Dzulkifli Ahmad, who wanted to know why Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng required an invite to sign.

“Like the pledge made by the police today, we didn’t ask them to sign, Khalid himself came and contacted me, saying the police wanted to sign,” he said, referring to Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar.

“I want to say here that not one state government was contacted by the MACC to sign, they all volunteered.

“I don’t know why Lim Guan Eng says that we need to invite him. If the other states do not need to be invited, why does Penang?” Dzulkifli said at a press confence at the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Academy today.

Previously, Lim said that Penang would sign the Corruption-Free Pledge provided that it adhered to 10 items it practised in George Town.

According to the MACC website there are 249 agencies ranging from government enforcement agencies to universities that have signed the pledge.

Meanwhile, Khalid said at the press conference that, in signing the pledge, the police had taken its first step towards becoming a zero corruption force.

“There is corruption in the police force, I do not deny it, and this is one of the steps that we are taking to reduce corruption.

“Our objective is a zero corruption force and we are taking the proper actions to ensure that the police don’t condone corruption,” he said. – July 24, 2017.