Yesterday, an anonymous source said MACC had, a few years ago, looked into some of the names mentioned in a ledger kept by a former UKSB manager. However, the source said that at the time, officers were instructed to focus only on the former deputy prime minister.

Commenting on this, lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla questioned who ordered MACC to do so and why.

“MACC has a duty to explain who instructed it to just focus on Zahid so the public doesn’t jump to conclusions or make negative perceptions on any individuals or parties,” he told FMT.

Haniff noted that Latheefa Koya was appointed head of MACC on June 4, 2019, and Zahid faced seven extra charges of receiving bribes on June 26 and 27, within the same month of Latheefa’s appointment.

He also noted that Tommy Thomas was the attorney-general at the time.

He urged the anti-graft agency to clear the air over the failure to probe and charge the other “bigwigs” mentioned in the ledger.

In FMT’s report yesterday, the source also explained why former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin and health minister Khairy Jamaluddin were not charged. The source said there was no evidence Muhyiddin received any money, while in Khairy’s case, the money went to his Umno division and it was considered a political donation.

The existence of the ledger was revealed in Zahid’s corruption trial. It mentioned, among others, Muhyiddin, Khairy, former foreign minister Anifah Aman, former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal, housing and local government minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican and defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

Muhyiddin, Khairy and Anifah have since denied receiving any funds from UKSB.