The Anti-Corruption Agency must be allowed to do its job if Umno is truly adamant about curbing money politics, said de facto law minister Dr Rais Yatim.

"If you ask me, money politics will go out of the window if you ask the Anti-Corruption Agency to come in," he told malaysiakini in an interview.

"I would like to see when Dr M (party leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad) abhors money politics, I would expect to see that it should be followed by legal remedy, an enforcement kind of thing. Maybe this is due to me being a legal man," said Rais, who is a former lawyer.

Rais, who is now an ordinary member of Umno, said he had no role to play under the present practice of money politics in the party.

"I don't see myself to be within Umno politics," he said, adding that this could be due to the fact that "I did not practise the kind of politics they do."

"The value system is different. I cannot subscribe to the system of money politics that Dr M has been talking about. If money politics is left behind and there is a new system, then I have a role. But if Umno politics is pursuant still to the present gamut, I don't think I could have a role," he added.

In the party's general assembly last year, Rais lost in his bid to secure one of three powerful vice-president posts.

Rais also spoke of the government's preparedness to face any legal challenges initiated by the Terengganu state government over the oil royalty issue.

"The federal government is satisfied that Terengganu has no legal status or legal right to the petroleum that is being produced by Petronas almost 100km from the coastal area of the state," he said.

The opposition PAS government in Terengganu has vowed to sue the federal government for its decision to cease payments of oil royalty, amounting to RM800 million annually, to the state.

Hall of Justice

Rais also said that a new Hall of Justice will be built in Putrajaya to house the Federal Court and the Court of Appeal and together with a new High Court complex in Kuala Lumpur, the courts will be equipped with information technology facilities.

The construction of these court complexes are to begin early this year, to be completed in the next two years. He described these complexes as "efficient 21st century courthouse".

Rais also said that he was preparing a comprehensive report on the administration of justice which he hoped will be ready to be submitted to the government by March this year.

"The report will comprise the performance of various agencies committed with judicial process, justice, the administration of justice in general - the police, customs, immigration, the administrative aspects of the courts and questions related to justice in general in the country," he said.

He added that some extracts from the controversial Justice in Jeopardy will be included in the report.

Justice in Jeopardy , a report released last year by the United Kingdom-based International Bar Association, had chided the lack of independence of the judiciary in Malaysia.

Rais said that the report will also focus on laws pertaining to the security and public order, such as the Internal Security Act, the Police Act and the Public Order Act.

He added that the Printing Presses and Publications Act, often criticised for its role in stifling media freedom, is also within the ambit of the report.