PKR Youth has urged the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) to investigate a Barisan Nasional leader's claim that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had allegedly intervened in a corruption probe.

raymond tan The claim was made by disgruntled ex-Sabah Progressive Party(Sapp) deputy chief Raymond Tan who claimed that he stopped Abdullah from arresting party president Yong Teck Lee in June.

An English-language daily in Sabah quoted Tan, who is also the state deputy chief minister, on Saturday as saying that the premier wanted ACA to arrest Yong after the Sapp president spearheaded a no-confidence vote against the premier.

Tan made the revelation when he defended himself against claims of ingratitude by failing to support the Sapp pullout. Tan then claimed he had pleaded to Abdullah not to arrest Yong.

Tan and Yong have fallen out after the former disagreed with the party’s move to quit the BN coalition.

'Contradicts his pledge'

shamsul iskandar In a statement today, PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin urged the ACA to step in and launch a probe into Tan’s revelation, which he described as “shocking”.

“Abdullah has said repeatedly prior to this that he never interfered in the investigation of any enforcement agency and it was his effort to make them free from the executive’s interference,” he said..

“(If the claim is true), it is not impossible to understand why hundreds of our complaints sent to the ACA were thrown into the rubbish bin although they came with solid evidence while whatever case that involves Pakatan Rakyat, the ACA will take immediate action,” he added.

The PKR politician said the claim, if true, would contradict Abdullah’s pledge to be committed in fighting graft and would prove the public perception of executive interference in such matters.

Shamsul also called on Abdullah to issue an explanation on the matter.