KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) today urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to speed up the investigation on Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar.

Bersih chairman Thomas Fann said it was crucial that Malaysians be informed whether any wrongdoing has been discovered in the Batu Gajah MP’s conduct.

"When a political leader is involved, the MACC and AGC have to be quick to wrap up the investigations and determine if he needs to be charged to minimise political polemic.

"If the MACC has concluded its investigations, then the AGC must inform the public whether Sivakumar has breached the law,” he was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.

Earlier this month, the MACC arrested two of Sivakumar’s aides, including his private secretary, for an investigation into suspected abuse involving foreign worker recruitment.

Sivakumar has insisted he was not a suspect, after he was questioned by the MACC on April 16.

The MACC subsequently raided the minister’s office and home, but did not discover evidence linked to the investigation.

Although Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has resisted calls to put Sivakumar on leave pending the investigation, some including his party’s own leaders, such as Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim, have said it was inappropriate for the minister to remain in office.