Unfair comparison, says Kit Siang

TRUE to form, fiery DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has dismissed the revelation that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had hauled up more Barisan Nasional politicians than from Pakatan Rakyat as "unfair comparison".

This time, Kit Siang claimed all the cases involved "money politics in Umno" and were investigated by the anti-graft body then known as the Anti-Corruption Agency.

"It is different. In fact, there should be a special court set up to deal only with money politics," he said.

While acknowledging that action had been taken against Umno supreme council member Datuk Norza Zakaria, Kit Siang questioned what had happened to talk of former Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said being investigated.

Kit Siang was responding to a Malay Mail report yesterday that more than 20 BN politicians, less than their Pakatan Rakyat counterparts had been questioned this year alone on allegations of power and money politics.
Of the 20, five are high-profile politicians.

MACC had also charged several BN politicians, including first-term Lenggeng assemblyman Mustafa Salim, 50, who faced three charges of corruption in May.

In January, Beruas Umno vice-chief Azman Noh was charged for offering bribes during the division's election while Norza was charged in March for alleged vote-buying during the run-up to the Umno election.

Our checks had also revealed that other than Azalina, former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo had also been questioned by the MACC this year.

In contrast, no politician from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition has been charged to date.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had, on the day of the death of Teoh Beng Hock, launched a stinging
rebuke of the MACC, calling for the agency to stop its "political persecution" of Pakatan Rakyat, especially
DAP leaders and members.

Kit Siang had followed suit by calling on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to "stop the MACC war against Pakatan Rakyat and direct it to return to its original purpose of declaring war against corruption". - MMail