Any investigations over alleged corruption in Selangor would be swiftly dealt with by the authorities, said former senator Ezam Mohd Noor, in denying claims that his anti-corruption NGO Hisbah Centre for Reform had remained silent over recent controversies under the Pakatan Harapan-led state government.

“Hisbah is not silent, but many Malaysians are blind. They are blind from seeing and taking lessons from incidents taking place before their own eyes.

“Did they not see how swiftly investigations are conducted in states like Penang and Selangor but are slow, if at all, when it comes to cases concerning Putrajaya?,” asked Ezam in a statement from Yogyakarta.

Ezam said his NGO has always stressed that justice must be upheld by ensuring that the processes of investigation, arrest, pressing charges and trial would be carried out in a swift and transparent manner.

“Therefore, when there is an allegation of corruption in Selangor, Hisbah does not need to ‘scream and shout’ because it is clear that the process of upholding justice would be carried out swiftly,” he said.

“Just look at what happened in Penang. In fact, Hisbah received information that in Selangor, even without any formal charge, almost every week or month an investigation team would be raiding the menteri besar’s office and the state government,” he claimed.

Ezam pointed out that unlike in Indonesia, where the Republic’s Anti-Corruption Commission had pressed charges and even convicted numerous high-ranking ministers, governors and their immediate family members, there was no such response from the MACC on cases linked to Malaysia’s top leaders.

“We (Malaysians) often ridicule the Javanese people in Indonesia, but now they are way ahead of us.

“In fact, they are now surprised to see the level of idiocy and damage happening to our country,” said Ezam, who questioned Hisbah’s critics on whether they are willing to be labelled as "idiots" for allowing a scandal-tainted prime minister to continue leading the nation.

Ezam is expected to be making his political comeback in the forthcoming 14th general election, and had last month urged Selangor Harapan to put their trust in Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali to retain the state.