Tan Sri Muhammad bin Muhammad Taib should resign as Selangor Mentri Besar to protect the good name of Selangor and Malaysia after being arrested and charged in a Brisbane court for committing the offence for failure to declare the equivalent of A$1.2 million (RM 2.5 million) in currency before boarding a plane for New Zealand.
Australian Financial Review today reported that Muhammad was “summonsed by Australian Federal Police after he was allegedly detected at Brisbane airport on Sunday with a large mixture of undeclared currency in his possession.”
The Australian Financial Review reported “Tan Sri Taib, 51, appeared before a Brisbane Magistrate, Mr Col Webster, yesterday afternoon on a charge of failing to complete a report under Section 15 of the Financial Transactions Reports Act.
“No plea was entered and the case was stood over until March 21 next year. Tan Sri Taib, who is often described in Malaysia as wealthy and politically astute, was released on bail on his own undertaking.
“It is understood he arrived in Australia on December 16 on a private business visit of which the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs was unaware.
“Tan Sri Taib's Brisbane solicitor, Mr Michael Lew, said yesterday his client had no comment to make about why he was allegedly in possession of the currency, which the court was told amounted to the equivalent of A$ 1.2 million. Ms Kerri Mellifont, who appeared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, also declined to comment.
“A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would not comment other than to say it was a matter for the police.”
Tan Sri Taib should not only resign as Selangor Mentri Besar, he should explain how and why he was in possession of RM2.5 million in various currency, whether he had taken this vast sum of money with him to Australia from Malaysia, or whether he had this money only when he was in Australia, explaining the source and purpose of this vast amount of liquid cash on his person. It is an open secret that many political leaders had vast sums of currency running into millions of ringgit when overseas, and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohammad should order a full investigation of overseas trips by these political leaders with regard to the source and purpose of these funds - particularly as Mahathir has condemned “money politics” in his recent address to the UMNO General Assembly.
The silence or inaction by the Federal Government or the Anti-Corruption Agency would not enhance public confidence that the authorities are serious in wanting to combat money politics or high-level corruption in high political places.
(24/12/96)