IPOH: Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu is ready and willing to meet with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigators to assist in their investigations into an alleged movement to depose him as menteri besar through a “no confidence” motion at the state assembly.
He said there would be no problems whatsoever if MACC were to call him to have his statement recorded, but added that he did not have much information on the issue besides what has so far been reported in the media.
“There is no problem. I am good with everyone and can work with MACC if they call me. But if they ask me about this issue, I don’t really know anything actually, I don’t know the story... all I can say is what I know, what I have read and what I have been told by the media,” he said.
Faizal was speaking to reporters after launching the Perak Local Council Members Seminar 2018 at the Home Ministry Complex here.
MACC had begun investigations following allegations that bribery was involved in an attempt to depose Faizal by certain state executive council members.
The allegations were made by state opposition leader Datuk Saarani Mohamad, who claimed that the exco members had met with five Umno assemblymen to seek their aid in deposing Faizal by way of a vote of no confidence.
So far, investigators have interviewed state Education, Technology, Science and Environment Committee chairman Dr Abdul Aziz Bari over the issue.
Asked if Aziz, who is Tebing Tinggi assemblyman, had met with him to explain or discuss the issue, Faizal said there had been no personal meetings between them so far.
“No, we have not had any personal meeting, but after the winding up of the state assembly sitting yesterday (Wednesday), as per usual, we (the state exco members) congratulated and took pictures with each other, and everything went well.
“As for my statement before this that this issue needed to be brought before the Pakatan Harapan (PH) leadership, I did not say Aziz needs to be referred to the PH presidential council... what I said was, with these allegations, maybe the presidential council should investigate,” he said.
On Saarani’s statement that he had a statutory declaration (SD) in which he names the mastermind behind the attempt to depose him, Faizal said Saarani should provide evidence of the attempt.
“Many people think Saarani should provide evidence, because if it’s just an SD, as state DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming put it, anybody can make an SD,” he said.