Almost a week after, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had come out with a statement agreeing to meet P Balasubramaniam in London, they have yet to contact his lawyers.

Checks with the lawyers Manjeet Singh Dhillon and Americk Singh Sidhu revealed that the MACC have yet to contact them on the proposed meeting, which the two had arranged to be between July 3 and July 12.

raja petra demafation case 200109 manjeet singh dhillon "I have yet to be contacted by the MACC. I hope they do so that all issues and arrangements on the matter can be sorted as soon as possible," Americk told Malaysiakini. Manjeet (right) .

Attempts by Malaysiakini to contact MACC chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed and his deputy Mohd Sukri Abdull via their handphone and short messaging system for the past three days also proved to be fruitless.

It is learnt the MACC would not be issuing any statement on the matter until it contacts the two lawyers.

There is speculation that the commission would contact them only next week.

Blame game begins

On Friday, MACC had issued a statement that it was willing to go to London in July to record Balasubramaniam's statement.

MACC also welcomed the private eye's willingness to give his statement in connection with the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, and promised to get in touch with his lawyers.

However, MACC's director of investigations Mustafar Ali, was said to have commented in a daily earlier this week, that it had tried to interview Balasubramaniam much earlier.

americk siva pc 040708 02 Manjeet denied the claim and blamed the commission for the delay.

Americk (left) had since clarified an error in Malaysiakini's report that travel arrangements included MACC officers, saying they were only for the lawyers and Balasubramaniam.

The commission would have to pay for the trip and accommodation.

The lawyers were, however, prepared to arrange a meeting place other then the Malaysian High Commission in London.

Questionable lack of urgency

The inaction and silence by MACC raises questions over its efficiency, after the Federal Court had only earlier this month affirmed a landmark ruling that the commission can interview witnesses after office hours in a bid to help wrap up investigations faster.

The three judges who sat at the Federal Court have yet to deliver the written grounds for the decision.

But judging by the submission made by senior federal counsel Amarjeet Singh who had said restricting time of examination to normal office hours would create absurdity, and would not promote the purpose of the MACC Act, the silence on commission's part in handling this case is surprising.

A quick affirmation of MACC's commitment to investigate the private investigator's claim would allay the negative perception that the commission was not serious in probing the case.

p balasubramaniam private investigator altantuya murder case Balasubramaniam (right) had made a startling revelation in his statutory declaration pertaining to the murder of Altantuya only to retract it a day later.

The declaration had stated that the then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, was the one who introduced Altantuya to political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda.

Razak, was charged with abetment to murder but later freed by the court.

The private investigator has also alleged Najib's younger brother Nazim's involvement in his retraction of the statutory declaration which is the subject of this MACC investigation.