Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low has lamented the high expectations the public has had of him since assuming ministerial office, which he has been unable to fulfil.

He said people have too high expectations especially because they want to see transparency and zero corruption immediately after his appointment in charge of graft, transparency and human rights.

In an interview with Sin Chew Daily , the former Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M ) chairperson admitted he has not been able to do what the public expected.

He added it is impossible to do it as he is facing a deep-rooted culture that needs time to correct.

Low said he has yet to meet his target as reforms need a long time, but claimed the government agencies have improved a lot and he will continue with his task.

The minister survived a shock cabinet reshuffle in the midst of the country’s biggest scandal surrounding the debt-ridden 1MDB and the controversial RM2.6 billion banked into Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal accounts, claimed to be donations for Umno.

Not probing Najib

In the same interview, Low also explained that his National Consultative Committee on Political Funding (JKNMPP), formed after the government eventually admitted the RM2.6 billion in Prime Minister Razak's accounts were allegedly party donations, will not be investigating the matter.

He said this is because the JKNMPP has no investigative powers and is not a law enforcement agency, and hence the task falls upon the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police instead.

Meanwhile, Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng ( photo ) said that, as far as he remembers, Low had only addressed Parliament once.

This is very disappointing, he said, especially since Low is tasked with government transparency and integrity as well as being in charge of the MACC.

There have been many questions in the Parliament regarding the MACC but has Low ever answered any of those questions, Lim asked.

Hence, he challenged Low to reveal how many times he had attended Parliament, as well as when he had answered questions and joined parliamentary discussions.