KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today stressed that no order has been issued to halt or postpone investigations into Zetrix AI Sdn Bhd and Felda, insisting that enforcement agencies are free to carry out their duties.
Anwar acknowledged that some investigations took a long time but said delays did not mean the government was protecting anyone from legal action.
"Are there instructions for the investigation to continue? Yes. Is there a closing order? No," he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat.
Anwar was responding to a supplementary question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) on the progress of investigations into several high-profile cases involving Zetrix AI, Tabung Haji (TH) and Felda.
Fadhli asked why investigations into Felda and TH, involving issues that allegedly occurred years ago, had only recently progressed, while the latest case involving Zetrix AI had not received similar attention.
In response, Anwar said the road transport department lodged a police report concerning Zetrix AI, while the Securities Commission Malaysia also launched investigations into the matter.
He said a white paper on Felda was tabled in 2019, but follow-up action only began after his government took power in 2022.
He said the government had established a special task force to examine the matter, and about a year had passed before investigation papers were opened.
"Felda’s investigation papers were referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers several times for further scrutiny, which contributed to the lengthy process.
"I accept that there may sometimes be delays, but delays are better than taking no action at all," he said, adding that he had no intention of abusing his power to obstruct investigations.
On TH, he said the pilgrims' fund's issues were also brought to the Cabinet after his government took office.
He said TH’s management requested that action be deferred while the institution pursued recovery efforts, but the investigation was still allowed to proceed.