Apa jadi dengan siasatan rasuah terhadap Xavier, soal Kua

Former Minister for Land, Water and Forests Xavier Jayakumar is facing a corruption investigation by SPRM after a close friend was arrested for allegedly receiving bribes related to a 2019 ministry project. Kua Kia Soong, a former Member of Parliament for Kuala Langat, questioned the status of the corruption investigation against Xavier due to the lack of evidence of guilt, accusation, or absolution.

Kua, who served as Petaling Jaya MP from 1990 to 1995, stated that the lack of clarification has created an accountability gap and raised concerns about the credibility of the anti-corruption institution responsible for the investigation. "If the investigation yields evidence of criminal wrongdoing, why is there no indictment?" he asked in a statement today.

"If the inquiry finds insufficient evidence, why is the public not clearly informed that the case has been closed?" And if the investigation remains open, why is it still considered unresolved after so much time?" Xavier recently reaffirmed his membership in PKR, five years after leaving the party while still an opposition member.

He subsequently supported the administration of then-Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as a free member of Parliament. In 2022, he joined the Malaysia Barisan National Party but did not disclose why he left PKR or joined the new party. When he resigned from PKR, Xavier was under investigation by SPRM following his friend M A Thinagaran's arrest.

Thinagaran was detained by SPRM for allegedly receiving bribes from several companies for projects awarded by the Ministry of Water, Land and Forests in 2019, while Xavier was leading the ministry as a minister under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration. The last public report in March 2022 stated that the SPRM investigation into Xavier was ongoing.

Kua acknowledged that the investigation began under Muhyiddin's administration and under the Anwar Ibrahim government, but he emphasized that this does not absolve the government of its responsibility to ensure institutional clarity. "An independent anti-corruption agency should be able to state, if permitted by law, whether an investigation is still active, closed, or resulted in indictment," he said.

"Leaving a politically sensitive anti-corruption investigation in an unclear state without a specific timeframe does little to increase public confidence." Kua also urged Xavier to explain the circumstances behind his decision to leave PKR, referencing previous accusations by a former PKR leader that pressure from SPRM contributed to his decision to leave.

"However, Xavier's situation represents something far greater than just a former politician," he said.