KUALA LUMPUR - Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim considers the six people who were charged for corruption in Shah Alam on Tuesday as just ‘small fries.’

While supporting the crackdown on corrupt politicians on both sides of the divide by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, he said the MACC should also pursue ‘high profile’ cases.

Citing defence deals and the Port Klang Free Zone issue as examples, he said it was incumbent on the MACC to apply its authority and act on such high profile cases that he claimed have been largely swept aside,

“Corruption must be tackled at its very root or centre of power,” he said at a press conference at the Parliament lobby, in reference to the Selangor politicians who were charged with graft at the Shah Alam sessions court.

MACC hs to be independent

Commending the MACC, Anwar said the commission should use its authority to investigate more high profile corruption cases that he alleged “have been ignored.”

“But they should not stop acting against corrupt lower ranking leaders either,” he added.

Anwar said the MACC is entrusted with a major responsibility to combat corruption and it has to be independent, adding that the commission’s image and credibility had been tarnished by the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Teoh, a political secretary to a Selangor executive councilor, was found dead on July 16 at the building that houses the Selangor office. A day earlier he was taken in for questioning as a witness in an MACC probe.

“The MACC cannot redeem itself based on a large number of low-profile anti-graft cases, but must go after higher-profile cases.

“There is evidence to support our contention that corruption is more rampant than ever,” he claimed. - Malaysian Mirror