KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said funds seized in the 2016 Sabah Water Department graft case will be returned to the State if verified as allocations meant for Sabah’s water projects.
He said during a gathering with local media practitioners here on Sunday that the federal financial procedures require all seized funds to enter the consolidated fund, but assured that money belonging to Sabah would be channelled back once confirmed.
Anwar dismissed suggestions that his government is soft on corruption, saying action can only be taken based on evidence, not perceptions, online claims or politically motivated videos.
He said recent allegations involving Sabah leaders and land allocations were also checked and found baseless, stressing that due process must guide decisions to avoid governance by accusation.
Anwar credited Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor for not interfering in anti-graft investigations and said enforcement bodies now act more boldly because they operate without political pressure.
