KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has yet to open an investigation paper on the awarding of a fibre optic contract to a company linked to a former prime minister.
Its chief commissioner, Tan Sri Azam Baki, said the anti-graft body needed time to examine the matter as it was an old case.
"We will open an investigation paper when we have gathered all the required information.
"This is an old case, so we need some time. It doesn't matter who was involved, transparency is crucial for us in our investigations.
"For now, I can confirm that we are examining all the information we have. I will announce (any new development) soon," he said after attending the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) 2023 Integrity Day today.
Azam was responding to a question on the current status of MACC's investigation into elements of corruption in the Opcom Sdn Bhd scandal.
Present was WTCKL managing director Datuk Seri Dr Irmohizam Ibrahim.
On June 17, Azam had said MACC will investigate whether there was any element of corruption in the awarding of a RM214.2 million fibre optic contract to a company linked to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He said more information was needed, and action will be taken accordingly.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his defence statement against Dr Mahathir's RM150 million defamation suit, cited several decisions by the latter and that these decisions provided grounds for dismissing the suit against him.
Anwar claimed that Telekom Malaysia Bhd issued a letter to request permission to hold direct negotiations with Opcom for the supply of fibre optic cables worth RM214.2 million.
The letter was issued to the Finance Ministry on Sept 15, 2003, when Dr Mahathir was prime minister and finance minister, and his third son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, was the director of Opcom.
In the defence statement, Anwar said Telekom was a government-linked company in which the Minister of Finance Incorporated held a special share, which gave the body the power to overrule decisions made by the board and other shareholders.
He said the corporate body overseen by the Finance Ministry was under Dr Mahathir's direction at the time.