Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching today nudged Bukit Aman CID chief Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd to claim his A$320,000 frozen by the Australian Federal Police, offering to crowdfund for the legal cost to do so.
Australian Federal Police froze the money on grounds that it was allegedly laundered money or criminal proceeds.
Inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun claimed Wan Ahmad did not want to claim the money due to the inhibitive legal cost despite insisting that the money is "clean".
Teo said is the money was indeed above board, she was prepared to help fundraise for Wan Ahmad to retrieve the funds, which Malaysian police claim were proceeds from selling a house in Shah Alam intended for the education of Wan Ahmad's children.
Veteran investigative journalist R Nadeswaran had also offered the services of a friend who is a lawyer in Australia.
"If cost is indeed the problem, I volunteer to do crowdfunding for him, to aid him to travel to Australia and engage the lawyer friend of Nadeswaran to retrieve his hard-earned dollars.
"(This is) on the condition that he declares his assets publicly to prove that he really can’t afford the legal action, and show us all necessary and relevant documents to prove the source of the funds to convince us that the legal action won’t be a futile exercise," said Teo.
Teo said it was important for Wan Ahmad (centre in photo) to reclaim the money to safeguard his reputation.
"It is of the utmost importance for him to do so in order to clear his reputation completely.
"Yes, he still needs to fork out some money for his travelling and accommodation expenses to face the inquiry. But, isn’t his reputation worth more than that?
"And if the money seized by Australia authorities is really meant for his children education funding in Australia, and now the money is being frozen, so how are his children going to continue their study in Australia?" said the DAP lawmaker.
Several opposition MPs had expressed puzzlement at Wan Ahmad's refusal to claim the money despite insisting the money is clean.
Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng had pointed out that Wan Ahmad could engage lawyers on a "no cure, no pay" basis in which legal service would be rendered at zero cost.
Payment would come from a proportion of the disputed money only if the recovery effort is successful.
"So why still hesitate?" asked Teo.