Bersatu Youth calls for updates on Agus, Sivakumar probes

Bersatu Youth permanent chairman Akmal Zahin Zainal Zahir said the attorney-general must explain why ex-human resources minister V Sivakumar was not charged in court despite MACC having investigated him. (Bersatu Youth pic)

PETALING JAYA: Bersatu Youth has urged the authorities to provide updates on probes into former community communications department (J-Kom) chief Agus Yusoff and former human resources minister V Sivakumar.

Bersatu Youth permanent chairman Akmal Zahin Zainal Zahir said that transparency is crucial to maintaining public trust, adding the lack of action in these cases has raised serious concerns.

“The people deserve to know the status of these investigations, especially since they involve high-ranking officials,” Zahin said at a press conference today.

“This is a matter of great public interest, so the public should be informed if no wrongdoing was found. If there is evidence (of wrongdoing), then action should be taken.

“The prolonged silence is unacceptable,” Zahin said.

Agus resigned as J-Kom director-general in November last year, soon after a viral video clip surfaced allegedly showing a lewd conversation between him and J-Kom officer Abdul Wahab Abdul Kadir Jilani.

It was previously reported that the police had completed their probe into Wahab’s claim and that the investigation paper was submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers on Dec 18 last year.

In April 2023, Sivakumar rejected calls by several quarters for him to resign or go on garden leave after he was questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) twice as part of a probe into corrupt foreign worker recruitment practices.

The anti-graft agency arrested three of his aides and released them after their four-day remand order expired. Sivakumar sacked five of his aides after the probe.

Zahin told the media that he wanted Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh to explain why Sivakumar was not charged in court despite MACC having investigated him.

Separately, he also asked for a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into allegations reported by Bloomberg that Anwar Ibrahim was involved in deciding who MACC should investigate.

Quoting sources, Bloomberg recently reported that MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki told officials in the anti-graft agency that instructions to investigate former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his sons, as well as former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, had come from Anwar himself.

The report also stated that MACC was told not to investigate share purchases by Anwar’s former political secretary, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.

Zahin said the Prime Minister’s Office’s denial on the matter was insufficient and demanded they take concrete action if the report was false, either by lodging a police report or filing a lawsuit against Bloomberg.

“If the prime minister is truly innocent, then why not take action to defend his integrity?” I have asked.