Pamela Ling's lawyer accuses MACC of ‘misleading' public, says she wasn't treated as mere witness
Ling's lawyer claimed that the treatment by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission was not consistent with how a witness would be handled. — Malay Mail photo
KUALA LUMPUR (May 23): The family lawyer of Datin Seri Pamela Ling has labelled recent statements by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as 'entirely false', accusing the commission of intimidation and abuse of process.
Their lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo today accused MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki of allegedly misleading the public when he claimed Ling was never a suspect and had only been called in as a witness.
'He should come clean about who ordered Pamela's arrest and inexcusable treatment, even though her role was merely that of a witness, instead of making statements which are shockingly untrue,' the lawyer claimed in a statement here.
She said the MACC had in obtained an arrest warrant for Ling from the Johor Baru Magistrate's Court dated December 2, 2024, and that she was detained on January 8 this year, after being handed over by Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
Ling was then transported in handcuffs from the border to the MACC's Johor Baru office, and then to Putrajaya where she was held overnight in a lockup.
She was served with a formal arrest notice under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act and later remanded for three days, during which she was interrogated and had her phone seized.
Upon release, Ling was required to post bail of RM35,000, report monthly to the MACC, and was barred from leaving the country, even when one of her children was hospitalised.
Sangeet said the MACC's treatment of Ling was not consistent with how a witness would be handled, asserting that the agency had 'hounded' her rather than merely summoning her.
She noted that the Kuala Lumpur High Court had granted leave to challenge both the arrest warrant and the travel restriction, further undermining MACC's narrative.
Sangeet described the MACC's conduct as clear harassment and called on the agency to be held accountable, stating that such actions damage the public's trust in national institutions.
MACC had launched an investigation into Ling and her husband, Thomas Hah, in May last year over suspected corruption and money laundering activities.
Despite remaining missing, the High Court last week granted leave for Ling to proceed with her judicial review challenging her arrest and a travel ban imposed by the MACC and the Immigration Director-General. — Malay Mail Azam Baki Pamela Ling Yueh Sangeet Kaur Deo
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