Pua: Investigate Nazri for power abuse in Tajuddin Ramli’s cases

By Debra Chong

Malaysian Insider, 12 August 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — The DAP’s Tony Pua has accused Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz of abusing his authority by meddling in lawsuits involving Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli, and today called for the de facto law minister to be investigated.

The DAP publicity chief described as “unprecedented” Nazri’s recent directive to several government-linked companies (GLCs) to withdraw their ongoing suits against Tajuddin and settle the matter out-of-court, saying the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department could be investigated under the Emergency Ordinance.

Pua said the directive was ‘unprecedented’. — File pic

“Nazri can be investigated under section 2(1) of the Emergency (Essential Powers) Ordinance No. 22/1970 where ‘Any member of the Administration, Parliament or State Legislative Assembly or any public officer who commits a corrupt practice shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of 14 years or a fine of RM 20,000 or both’,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP pointed out in a statement.
“Such an instruction from a minister’s office, especially one with no authority over the various GLCs including Malaysian Airlines System (MAS), Telekom Malaysia and Prokhas (formerly Danaharta), must be at the very least highly improper, and at worst an illegal and corrupt practice to allow Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli to get away with billions of ringgit in debt,” Pua said.

He stressed that the companies are listed on Bursa Malaysia and have their own board of directors to decide the interest of their respective companies and that Nazri had no business giving any kind of instruction as the latter did not sit on any of the boards.

“His directive to these GLCs made a complete mockery of corporate governance in these companies and will only turn away local and foreign investors who will not tolerate blatant interference from the government on business and financial decisions,” Pua said.

He slammed Nazri’s “attempt” to explain yesterday, saying the directive “is clearly designed to provide the [Tajuddin] breathing space and a desperate attempt to bail him out of billions of ringgit in debt to the government agencies and companies, as well as to excuse him from causing billions of ringgit in losses to our flagship carrier MAS”.

Yesterday, Nazri said his directive was merely to buy time for all concerned parties to reach a “win-win” agreement and put an end to the prolonged financial saga involving Tajuddin in a massive debt bailout for the former MAS chairman.

The minister denied it was a bailout.