PETALING JAYA: Former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abu
Talib Othman has questioned whether it was improper for a serving
officer in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to defend the
integrity of his agency and officers.
He said this yesterday in responding to the statement by Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal on Thursday on the two MACC directors who were transferred out last Friday and sent back on Monday.
On Wednesday, Abu Talib was reported in The Star as saying that Chief Secretary Tan Sri Ali Hamsa and Mohamad Zabidi prima facie were guilty under the Penal Code of obstructing the officers from performing their duties, by transferring them without giving them the opportunity to be heard first.
He had asked Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Apandi Ali to instruct the police to investigate Ali and Mohamad Zabidi.
Yesterday, Mohamad Zabidi said the action taken against MACC’s
special operations division director Datuk Bahri Mohamad Zin and
strategic communications director Datuk Rohaizad Yaakob was not
connected to their core duties.
He said action was taken under Regulation 19 of the Civil Service Regulations (Conduct and Discipline) 1993, adding that MACC’s Code of Ethical Conduct clearly prohibits any MACC officer from making a public statement without the permission of the Chief Commissioner or to openly expressing any dissatisfaction about the commission and the Government.
“The explanation given by the PSD director-general sounds very interesting to me,” said Abu Talib when contacted.
“How is it improper for a serving officer in the MACC to defend the integrity of his department and the status of his officers?”
Asked whether officers were not bound to the rules and regulations governing members of the civil service, Abu Talib replied: “They are subject to the rules but these two were transferred without due process. That is not correct.”
“It started with investigations into the leakage of information from the Special Task Force’s probe into 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd).
“Is it wrong to thank members of the public who came to support MACC officers in the exercise of their lawful duties?” he asked.
He said this yesterday in responding to the statement by Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Tan Sri Mohamad Zabidi Zainal on Thursday on the two MACC directors who were transferred out last Friday and sent back on Monday.
On Wednesday, Abu Talib was reported in The Star as saying that Chief Secretary Tan Sri Ali Hamsa and Mohamad Zabidi prima facie were guilty under the Penal Code of obstructing the officers from performing their duties, by transferring them without giving them the opportunity to be heard first.
He had asked Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Apandi Ali to instruct the police to investigate Ali and Mohamad Zabidi.
He said action was taken under Regulation 19 of the Civil Service Regulations (Conduct and Discipline) 1993, adding that MACC’s Code of Ethical Conduct clearly prohibits any MACC officer from making a public statement without the permission of the Chief Commissioner or to openly expressing any dissatisfaction about the commission and the Government.
“The explanation given by the PSD director-general sounds very interesting to me,” said Abu Talib when contacted.
“How is it improper for a serving officer in the MACC to defend the integrity of his department and the status of his officers?”
Asked whether officers were not bound to the rules and regulations governing members of the civil service, Abu Talib replied: “They are subject to the rules but these two were transferred without due process. That is not correct.”
“It started with investigations into the leakage of information from the Special Task Force’s probe into 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd).
“Is it wrong to thank members of the public who came to support MACC officers in the exercise of their lawful duties?” he asked.
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