Annuar says no need to quit over Mara scandal
Mara chairperson Annuar Musa said there was no need to for him to quit over allegations of corruption in the agency's purchase of property in Australia.
This, he said in an interview on TV1 yesterday, was because his term as Mara chairperson will expire in two weeks' time.
Annuar did not mention whether he would get a new term but said he did not mind if he was not reappointed.
"There are calls (for me) to resign, but I only have two weeks left in Mara.
"If someone else is to be appointed (as Mara chairperson), I have no problems. I accept the reality," he said.
However, Annuar, who is also Umno's Ketereh MP, said before his term expires, he would like to get to the bottom of the controversy.
"Resigning to run away from responsiblity, that is not Annuar Musa," he said in the interview.
This is with regards to a report by Australian-based The Age which revealed that Mara spent A$22.5 million (RM65 million) to purchase an apartment block dubbed "The Dudley" in Melbourne.
The purchase, which among others involved a former politician, was overpriced by A$4.75 million (RM13.7 million).
The news report said the extra RM13.7 million paid was laundered out of Australia and paid as bribes to the Malaysian officials responsible for the purchase.
MACC can probe further
Yesterday, Annuar had also submitted the relevant documents relating to the case to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Annuar said he had been receiving reports on the matter but found them to be insufficient, therefore hoped the MACC can probe further.
He added that those accusations should not be hurled at those implicated at the case.
However, he said that this does not amount to a denial that there was no wrongdoing and will wait for the outcome of the investigation.
Earlier this week, Annuar had also distanced himself from the property deal, stating that it was concluded in February 2013 but he only became Mara chairperson at the end of the year.
He also ruffled feathers when he confirmed that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak ( photo ) was responsible for approving the deal in a press conference on Wednesday.
Yesterday, he made a U-turn, stressing that the deal was actually opposed by Najib and Mara had to appeal to the National Economic Council (NEC) before it was approved. The NEC was chaired by Najib.
Annuar reiterated that the media had twisted his words to erroneously implicate Najib, despite audio recording and transcript of his press conference showing otherwise.
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