SUPP should work on getting evidence to disprove allegations against governor, says Chong

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Chong speaks to reporters at Hui Sing Park. Photo by Lee Hui Joo

KUCHING: If Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) wants to clear the governor of Sarawak of allegations on corrupt practices, it should compel the State Cabinet to work closely with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to do so, says Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Chong Chieng Jen.

In suggesting this today, Chong, who is Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sarawak chairman, said his hands were tied when it came to the Sarawak government.

He said PH Sarawak, being the opposition coalition in Sarawak, had no access to the minutes of meetings of the state cabinet in the past decades.

He claimed that those documents, classified as Official Secrets, should have records of the state government having approved projects to companies related to the governor.

“But a full blown investigation into the allegations and complaints on the governor is not likely to take place because he is the governor.

“Even though the (Federal) Minister of Law has recently said that there was no new evidence in respect of allegations against the governor, MACC has not made any stand on this matter,” he told reporters when at Hui Sing Park here.

He made these remarks in response to SUPP’s recent call for him to clear the name of the governor given what the Federal Minister of Law recently said.

Chong insisted that PH Sarawak was not merely making allegations against the governor and hence they are calling for investigations be carried out thoroughly.

However, he was quick to concede that “a full blown investigation is unlikely to be carried out” due to the fact that the alleged figure is the governor and it did not seem that the Sarawak government would supply MACC with the official secret documents.

“The state government has all the minutes of meetings and if SUPP is so eager to clear the name of the governor, SUPP should make the Sarawak state cabinet supply the minutes of meetings in the past 30 years to MACC,” asserted the Stampin MP.

On Wednesday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong acknowledged that MACC had received information from Sarawak Report and environmental group Bruno Manser Fund, but the information was the same as a previous investigation paper MACC had opened.

“There was no new evidence that would allow MACC to open a new investigation paper,” the de facto law minister said in a parliamentary reply to Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii in Kuala Lumpur.