If Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan could have his way, the 56-year-old father of four would have opted for a quiet retirement. But this was not to be.

The quiet and soft-spoken former civil servant would rather let his 28-year track record in the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) do the talking.

"ACA officers, do not need to be seen. We should be heard," he told malaysiakini.

The ACA investigation reports can speak for themselves, said Ramli, who is clearly a man of few words.

Last week, Ramli was forced to come out of his quiet retirement when malaysiakini reported the disclosure of a scathing report he filed against his ex-boss, ACA director-general Zulkipli Mat Noor.

The report, penned just months before his retirement last December, contained explosive allegations against Zulkipli - ranging from corruption to sexual assault.

The accusations against the country's top anti-graft fighter has set Malaysia abuzz as Ramli was no ordinary civil servant.

He had served as ACA deputy chief in three states - Kedah, Perak, Negeri Sembilan - before being appointed to head the organisation in Kelantan, Malacca, Johor and later Sabah.

Meanwhile, Zulkipli - who has been ACA chief over the past six years - has denied the allegations. A special task force involving the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers has since been set up to probe Ramli's allegations.

On Wednesday, Ramli gave malaysiakini an exclusive 90-minute interview after he filed a law suit with the Kuala Lumpur High Court to, among others, claim his pension which he didn't get on retirement.

Led team to probe Kasitah

According to Ramli, he was sidelined and put in 'cold storage' after he persisted to investigate the then land and cooperative development minister Kasitah Gaddam for corruption involving a multi-million dollar share deal in the politician's home state of Sabah seven years ago.

Soon after, Ramli was transferred out of Sabah and relocated back to the agency's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Despite being one of the most senior ACA officers, Ramli said he wasn't given a new position or an office. He did not even have a desk at the ACA headquarters.

"For six years, I punched in my (attendance) card and got my salary. They gave me RM8,000 for doing nothing," he said.

His application for a transfer to another government agency as well as early retirement were denied.

When he finally retired last year, he discovered that his pension was held back as a result of "disciplinary proceedings" taken against him, apparently for failing to punch in his attendance card.

Without his pension, Ramli is now making ends meet by working part-time in a law office in his home town of Seremban.


Q&A: ACA chief case 'stronger' than Kasitah's

Part 2
'Dr M punished me for Kasitah probe'
Q&A: They have let me down