Taib’s fortune: Trio will return to MACC with ‘own copies’

BY FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission's (MACC) refusal to forward a copy of a report lodged by three Sarawakians alleging corruption by Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has shocked the trio and thrown further suspicion on the agency, which is already struggling with its battered image.

Describing the situation as “ridiculous”, the trio – James Wong Joon Min, Ting Chek Ming and Ahmad Nazib Johari – have decided to make their own copies and return on a later date to lodge again their reports with the MACC in Putrajaya.

Said Wong: “We’ve decided to come back on another day. We’ll make our own copies of the report. We want MACC to investigate it. The report touches on Taib and family’s business empire and properties in Canada.”

The trio had yesterday lodged a report against Taib at the MACC yesterday. Having done so, they asked for a copy and were denied.

Shocked, they demanded an explanation only to be told that there was “no ruling allowing for a copy to be issued to the complainant”.

Billionaire daughter

Strangely enough, said Ahmad Nazib, the officer told them that “this case was different, this is a high-profile case”.

“After hearing this, we decided to be cautious. We told them that whether it is high or low-profile, the law is the law and should be applied to all,” said Ahmad Nazib.

Their MACC report was based on a series of articles published on the web portal sarawakreport.org last week.

The report noted that Taib had assets worth RM3 billion in Canada, London and Australia.

It also placed Taib’s billionaire daughter Jamilah as the owner of Sakato Development Corporation,an Ottawa-based construction company which owned assets worth millions of US dollars, with offices in the US and other countries.

The web report also alleged that the Taib family owned a company, Sitehost Pty Ltd, which was worth millions of ringgit in Australia. The family also allegedly owned the Kuching Hilton and Mulu Resort in Sarawak.

The web has alleged that Taib had used his wealth in Sarawak to invest all over the world, thus avoiding domestic taxes.

The report also exposed several other alleged abuses by Taib in construction and timber concessions through his family-owned company Cahya Mata Sarawak.