PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull says he and Tan Sri Abu Kassim had met with Cabinet ministers as well as the Rulers Council to urge that Datuk Seri Najib Razak is replaced as prime minister, following evidence which showed that 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) funds had been abused.
Shukri, who is the new Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner, said the initiative was started by Abu Kassim, who was helming the commission at the time.
"We split up to meet all the ministers and appealed to them to replace Najib with someone else, be it (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad) Zahid (Hamidi) or (Datuk Seri) Hishammuddin (Hussein), as the figure was too large, RM2.6 billion.
"From all the ministers we met, only three dared to speak up - Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah. The rest were afraid.
"And now that they aren't ministers, some of them rang me to say, 'Had I listened to you before, this would not have happened (Barisan Nasional losing in the 14th General Election)," he told a press conference at the MACC headquarters here.
Also present were MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations), Datuk Azam Baki; deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Datuk Shamsun Baharin Mohd Jamil, and deputy chief commissioner (management and professionalism) Datuk Jaafar Mahad.
Mohd Shukri said, after efforts to convince the ministers failed, he and Abu Kassim took the initiative to meet the Council of Rulers.
"We met the Council of Rulers and asked them to look at the 1MDB issue and to replace Najib as PM, but we were left disappointed," he said.
Shukri said he was twice approached by a Member of Parliament from a northern state, who asked him if he was seeking any remuneration for probing 1MDB and in wanting to see Najib go.
"I had stressed to this person to not bother my investigation. I said, let us finish this probe and hand it over to the Attorney General to decide.
"The second time this MP approached me and asked, I told him that I would arrest him under the MACC Act if he continued in this manner," he said.