Press Conference Statement by DAP Secretary-General and Member of Parliament for Bagan, Lim Guan Eng in DAP Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur on 1 September 2020:
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Must Explain Why No Action Has Been Taken Against Deputy Defence Minister Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz For Recommending His Own Son As A Member Of The Board of Director Of Pharmaniaga.
MACC must explain why no action has been taken against Deputy Defence Minister Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz for recommending his own son as a member of the board of director of Pharmaniaga. Ikmal recommending his own son as a member of the Board of Director of Pharmaniaga, is a perfect toxic cocktail of abuse of power, corruption and nepotism emerging in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.
In Ikmal’s letter addressed to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri dated June 5, Ismail minuted to the chairman of the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) agreeing to Ikmal’s recommendation to appoint Ikmal’s son as a Director of Pharmaniaga. Pharmaniaga’s majority shareholder is Boustead Holdings Berhad. LTAT holds a majority stake in Boustead and a smaller stake in Pharmaniaga.
There is no doubt that MACC should investigate and take action because what Ikmal has done, is to solicit for a position which benefited his son by using his position as a Deputy Defence Minister. Ikmal has not only admitted that the wrote the letter of recommendation but that he was wrong and would withdraw his recommendation letter.
In Ikmal’s letter addressed to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri dated June 5, Ismail minuted to the chairman of the Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT) agreeing to Ikmal’s recommendation to appoint Ikmal’s son as a Director of Pharmaniaga. Pharmaniaga’s majority shareholder is Boustead Holdings Berhad. LTAT holds a majority stake in Boustead and a smaller stake in Pharmaniaga.
There is no doubt that MACC should investigate and take action because what Ikmal has done, is to solicit for a position which benefited his son by using his position as a Deputy Defence Minister. Ikmal has not only admitted that the wrote the letter of recommendation but that he was wrong and would withdraw his recommendation letter.
Recommending his own son, which was agreed to by Ismail, is a clear violation of one of the MACC’s offences of soliciting or requesting for corruption. It is clearly too late for Ikmal to disclaim responsibility because he had already committed the act of soliciting for a benefit on behalf of his son by abusing his position as Deputy Defence Minister.
And the act of soliciting for corruption is considered completed when Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri agreed to Ikmal’s recommendation to appoint Ikmal’s son. This is an abuse of power, nepotism and corruption all rolled into one – misusing public office for private benefit.
So far there are no news or development by MACC on this matter. All are equal in the eyes of the law, whether a VIP or an ordinary citizen. MACC should act immediately against Ikmal to demonstrate that they do not practice double-standards.
Lim Guan Eng,
DAP Secretary-General,
Member of Parliament for Bagan.
