By Ida Lim
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — The Attorney-General (A-G) Chambers is waiting for investigation papers from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) before it considers any criminal charges against human rights watchdog Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) and the company linked to it, Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob (picture) said today.
He said the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) had finished its investigation of Suara Inisiatif, but the A-G’s Chambers had decided not to press charges yet.
“But the Attorney-General said he wants to wait for ROS’ investigation, then only will he take joint action,” the domestic trade, co-operatives and consumerism minister said in his winding-up speech in Parliament today.
Ismail Sabri claimed that SUARAM and Suara Inisiatif are separate entities, adding that the A-G wanted to establish a “link” between the two.
But opposition MPs today insisted that SUARAM and Suara Inisiatif operate as the same entity.
On October 11, Ismail Sabri told The Malaysian Insider that CCM had resubmitted its investigation paper on Suara Inisiatif, the company linked to SUARAM, to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.
He confirmed that the investigation paper was still for “misleading accounts”.
It was previously reported that the A-G’s Chambers had returned the investigation paper to CCM on September 19 as it could not draft charges based on the incomplete paper.
SUARAM has been at the forefront of exposing alleged corruption in the multibillion ringgit Scorpene submarine deal this past year but has in turn been the subject of investigation into its funding, along with several other NGOs and news portal Malaysiakini.
Six government agencies, including CCM, ROS, Bank Negara, the police and Home Ministry, were reportedly probing SUARAM.