Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking has conceded that he was too confident in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), believing the agency would act independently under a reformist government.

Leiking, a former international trade and industry minister, said he has now learned from that mistake.

“Touche, Mr. Arutchelvan. I admit I placed my bet on the wrong horse,” he said in response to a jibe from Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) deputy chairman S Arutchelvan.

He acknowledged that he had been “overly hopeful” about MACC’s ability to enforce the law and deliver justice, particularly in Sabah.

Leiking, who is also the Moyog assemblyman, joked that he was fortunate his bet only involved Kon Lou Mee and Ngiu Chap Penampang, popular noodle dishes in Sabah.

“Trust me, I have learned my lesson,” he added, saying he had lost his wager against those who doubted that MACC—under a reformist government—would act on the Sabah corruption scandal.

Arutchelvan earlier told Malaysiakini that Leiking should have been more mindful of what he was wagering on.

“He should have known better than to stake a bet on something with a one-in-a-million chance of winning,” he quipped.

He likened Leiking’s trust in MACC to backing a racehorse that had been stuck at the starting gate for decades.

“That horse only bolts forward at lightning speed when opposition politicians are involved,” Arutchelvan said sarcastically.

His remarks came after Leiking expressing his disappointment over losing a bet with his friends about whether MACC would take action against an alleged corruption scandal involving mineral exploration licences and several Sabah assemblymen.

On Sunday, MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said a video linked to the Sabah scandal could not be used as evidence because it had been “edited.”

Following that, senior lawyer Shafee Abdullah urged Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor and the implicated assemblymen to lodge a police report against his client over the footage given that the videos were not credible.

Shafee represents the whistleblower who leaked the video, which allegedly shows discussions about bribing assemblymen in exchange for mineral exploration licences. – February 17, 2025