MACC, police, BNM can probe any issues without Cabinet approval - Paul Low

The Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC), the police and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) may initiate a probe on any issue without the approval of the Cabinet or the Prime Minister, said Minister in the Prime Mninister's Department Datuk Paul Low.

He said the three bodies are independent as incorporated under their Act of Parliament.

"It's within their Act to initiate investigation regardless of whether the Prime Minister agrees or not.

"Their investigation is not instructed by the Prime Minister or Cabinet," he said to a question from a Kenyan member of Parliament in a session at the 16th International Anti Corruption Conference here today.

The Kenyan MP had asked him about the investigation on 1Malaysia Development Berhad and whether it was ongoing.

Low said that as long as he was minister, he would ensure that the independence of the three bodies was protected.

He earlier delivered a paper on ‘Country Experience in Dealing with Governance and Corruption’ at the IACC's workshop session.

Asked on the Bersih 4 rally last weekend, Low said the government was open to assemblies, but they have to be "within the right purpose".

"If you want to have (a rally) against corruption, no problem. If it's about injustice, again no problem. But the original purpose of Bersih 4 is they want the Prime Minister to resign and they want a caretaker government, and in one year they want a new election. It's a mini Arab Spring.

"Yes, you may be angry, but if you are calling for dismantling the government in power it's different. That’s the reason the rally was disallowed," he said adding that its timing and venue clashed with the the National Day celebrations.

The conference attended by about 1,000 representatives from 130 countries is being held for three days from today at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here.