SALAHUDDIN: Six investigations have been opened so far but to no avail.KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is unable to proceed with its investigation into a "prominent chief minister" because of weaknesses in legal provisions provided to it, PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub said yesterday.

"Six investigation papers have already been opened on this chief minister but the MACC is unable to proceed," said the Kubang Kerian MP who also sits on a special committee panel that advises the MACC.

Salahuddin did not name the chief minister.

He said the legal obstacles might revolve around the fact that courts did not accept confessions alone in a corruption case and required corroborative evidence to make a case strong.

"Corruption cases are often one-on-one cases. No one announces in public or tells someone else that they are going to bribe someone," he said.

He said the burden of proof in such cases was "too high".

Salahuddin said a law reform commission should be set up to look at these laws and help the MACC in pursuing such high-profile cases.

He said the MACC panel committee had already recommended in its last two annual reports that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak provide the anti-graft commission with prosecuting powers but had not received a response.

On another matter, Salahuddin said he would only debate Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman over the RM60 billion Petronas petrochemical and oil refinery project in Pengerang and not its MP, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman.

"My issue with the project is about the rationale of taking over traditional village land even though there is other government land available for the project in Pengerang," he said.

- The Malay Mail