KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 - Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Tan Sri Annuar Musa said he did not need to resign despite the government agency’s Melbourne property purchase being investigated for corruption, as his term was expiring in two weeks’ time.
News portal Malaysiakini reported Annuar as telling TV1 that he had no problems if he was not reappointed as MARA chairman.
“Resigning to run away from responsibility, that is not Annuar Musa,” Annuar was quoted saying in the interview yesterday.
Australian police raided a home in Melbourne Thursday in a corruption and money-laundering investigation on an apartment purchase by MARA Inc, MARA’s property investment subsidiary, at a price allegedly inflated by A$4.75 million.
The police investigation dubbed the AFP’s “Operation Carambola” was launched after The Age reported Tuesday that a senior MARA official and two “elite” Malay businessmen were involved in corruption related to the Malaysian government agency’s A$22.5 million (RM65.3 million) purchase of Dudley House in Melbourne.
According to The Age, an eight month-long investigation by Fairfax Media, its parent publishing house, revealed that this group of “super-rich Malaysian officials” had spent government investment funds to push up the price of the student housing block that was built for A$17.8 million, but inflated by A$4.75 million to A$22.5 million.
Annuar has said he thought MARA Inc got a good deal when it paid A$22.5 million for the Melbourne apartment in 2013.
