The anti-graft agency should confine itself to the Water Department, he said in a statement today.

He recalled there had been several complaints regarding the sewerage system, for example, in Sabah.

“How was the work done well below expectations?” he asked. “This is evident from the horrible state of many manholes all over Sabah, in particular the West Coast.”

These allegations should be verified and investigated, he added. “Probably, the MACC will uncover many more abuses, if any.”

The MP urged the MACC to be brave in its investigations.

“MACC should be truly independent someday and be able to prosecute without reference to higher authorities,” he said.

Ideally, he conceded, MACC should only subject itself to the oversight of a Parliamentary Select Committee / Oversight Committee.

He was commenting on the MACC arresting two senior ranking officers of the Water Department and the discovery of a massive cash haul totalling RM3 million.

“It’s shocking the wealth has been amassed since 2010 undetected,” said Leiking.

There are many more stories of alleged corrupt acts and abuses all over Sabah involving public services, he said. “This needs immediate investigation and action by the MACC.”

Resuming his take on the arrests of the Water Department officers, he expressed hope that the MACC will detail the crimes allegedly committed and the money trail.

“The same department and certain officials had been most vocal in pushing for the Kaiduan Dam,” he reminded. “The specifics on the dam issue remain unclear.”

“The concerns of the critics on the Kaiduan Dam issue have been ignored.”

At the same time, he added, the Water Department had ignored the non-revenue water (NRW) issue, as well as unrepaired pipes all over Sabah. “These have caused massive losses.”