KUCHING, May 21 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) disregarded proper procedure by freezing the bank accounts of over 500 companies implicated in an ongoing graft crackdown in Sarawak, an opposition lawmaker claimed today.

Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the move does nothing to help strengthen their case, as sufficient evidence is typically needed for a court to allow a freeze on a bank account.

“The tactic of freezing all accounts first, then investigate later is not only against the basic due process of the general principle of the law, but it will not give any added assistance to the MACC in the investigation of any case of corruption,” the Bandar Kuching MP said today.

Chong stressed that the onus lies with the MACC to complete its investigations and collect enough evidence to prove a case, instead of putting the burden on the companies whose accounts have been locked down.

The Kota Sentosa state lawmaker claimed that it is an abuse of power for the MACC to cast “a big net and hope to get something out of it”.

“This is clearly an abuse of its power and this will cause unnecessary hardship not only to the companies, but all the employees, contractors and suppliers of these companies and their family members.

“Ultimately, it will put Sarawak’s economy in jeopardy,” he said.

Chong said the right thing for the MACC to do now is to lift the freeze order on the companies and revert to the due process of law.

He added that the MACC cannot ignore the possible involvement of ministers, assistant ministers and high-ranking government officials who own assets or wealth beyond their means.

“They are the ones who are not supposed to have other sources of income apart from their ministerial allowances,” Chong said, adding that such probes should include immediate family members whose companies were awarded government contracts without open tenders.

The MACC launched a large-scale anti-graft operation called Ops Gergaji on May 12, freezing bank accounts belonging to over 500 companies and individuals with a cumulative value of over RM700 million.

An assistant minister and a state lawmaker were among those whose statements have been recorded by the MACC, which is acting on long-standing complaints of corruption in the state’s timber trade.