MACC WANTED TO RECRUIT 900 EMPLOYEES THIS YEAR BUT COULD TAKE IN ONLY 76

'MACC in need of funds, staff'

2010/05/12 KUALA LUMPUR: A parliamentary committee on corruption has called on the government to provide more funds and personnel for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

The committee's chairman, Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, said the MACC had requested for RM324 million from the government last year, but it only received RM156.8 million.

He said the MACC was working under severe constraints.

"We feel their effectiveness will be affected in the long run if nothing is done to get them more personnel and funding," Radzi said after chairing a meeting of the committee at Parliament yesterday.

The government had said it could not meet MACC's request because of the economic downturn.

Radzi said the MACC over the next five years needed 5,000 new employees. He added that the MACC wanted to recruit 900 employees this year but could take in only 76.

"Despite this, they have done fairly well," he said.

He said last year, the MACC took 174 cases to court, including 15 politicians. It also made 500 arrests last year.

He said the agency had prosecuted 79 people while 16 people pleaded guilty.

Radzi said 43 were discharged before their defence were called while another nine were released after they were found not guilty by the courts.

He said 23 people were discharged not amounting to acquittal while five others had cases against them withdrawn.

Radzi noted that while some people had been acquitted, the MACC was in the process of appealing against the cases.

The committee would only look into reports that had been completed, he said, adding that it would not look into DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's case now.

Teoh fell to his death after an overnight interrogation at the Selangor MACC headquarters last year.

The committee's task is to review the MACC reports submitted to Parliament.

"We will make our recommendations to the prime minister in our report, which will be tabled along with last year's MACC report to the Dewan Rakyat," Radzi said.

The committee is expected to have its report and recommendations ready by the next meeting of the house, which begins on June 7.