KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar is resigning as chairman of Umno-linked Media Prima effective August 31, according to a filing with Bursa Malaysia today.
Johan, who is also chairman of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, denied, however, that the decision was due to pressure over his recent statement criticising the transfer of two officers.
“I would like to make it clear that I am not in any manner under any pressure to leave,” he said in a statement.
“I am fully aware that as chairperson of the PPPR, one of the independent external oversight panels monitoring the MACC, I have been vocal in articulating the panel’s position on various issues, most notably the case against the perceived harassment of MACC and its officers and the circumstances surrounding the transfer of two senior MACC officers to Putrajaya.
“I remain the chairperson of PPPR and will continue to speak on its behalf justly and without fear and favour,” he said.
On Saturday, Johan said in a statement that Putrajaya’s decision to transfer two MACC directors in the middle of a high-profile corruption investigation would fuel conspiracy theories.
The day before, MACC special operations division director Datuk Bahri Mohamad Zin and strategic communications director Datuk Rohaizad Yaakob were transferred to the Prime Minister’s Department due to “disciplinary issues”.
This was reversed on Monday after they met with Chief Secretary Tan Sri Ali Hamsa.
Ali later denied that the transfers were due to their ongoing probe on a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), saying that the move was due to the duo’s outbursts over a police investigation against the commission’s officers over an alleged information leak.
