MUHYIDDIN’S EPIC UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR – ‘I FEEL SAD’ – YET HIS TEARS MAY SOON ERUPT LIKE A WATERFALL WHEN HE FACES HIS OWN D-DAY IN COURT – MUHYIDDIN CITES ZAHID’S ‘NEW COURT CLUSTER’ COMMENT WHEN ACCUSING NEW GOVT OF SELECTIVE PROSECUTION OVER WAN SAIFUL’S CORRUPTION CASE – WHILE ‘TIN KOSONG’ ANWAR DEFENDS DPM ZAHID – ‘TODAY ONE OF THE MPs WAS CHARGED. DOES HE NEED TO RESIGN FROM ALL HIS PARTY POSTS? SURELY THE ANSWER IS NO’
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has once again defended his decision to appoint Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister despite the latter being on trial for corruption.
This time, the premier compared Zahid’s situation to that of Wan Saiful Wan Jan (Perikatan Nasional-Bukit Gelugor) who was charged with corruption this morning.
“Today one of the MPs was charged. Does he need to resign from all his party posts? Surely the answer is no.
“My stand on this issue is the same,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) on whether Zahid’s appointment fits the good governance values of Anwar’s Malaysia Madani programme.
Zahid is on trial for two corruption cases – one of which involved RM31 million of funds from Yayasan Akalbudi.
The High Court acquitted him on his second corruption case involving the Foreign Visa System (VLN) – but the prosecution is appealing the acquittal.
Meanwhile, Wan Saiful – who is Bersatu information chief – was charged with soliciting a bribe of an unspecified amount and for receiving a bribe of RM6.96 million between July 8, 2022, and Sept 30, 2022.
Continuing his defence of Zahid, Anwar told Parliament that the deputy premier had been following the principles of good governance set out by the administration.
He gave an example of how several government-linked companies (GLCs) under Zahid’s purview had asked for immediate action without tender.
“Zahid wrote (in reply), ‘abide by the prime minister and cabinet’s directive, everything must go through tender’,” Anwar said. MKINI
Muhyiddin: Bersatu victim of selective prosecution
Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has expressed his regret and sadness, saying “selective prosecution” is being carried out against the party leadership after its information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan was charged with corruption.
The former prime minister also claimed the prosecution against Bersatu had been hinted at by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“I feel sad because this is the first time Bersatu has been taken to court.
“If you remember the statement made by the Umno president, he said there will be a new court cluster.
“That’s like something that was planned from the beginning.
“As president of Bersatu, I think this is planned. The intentions are definitely not good and we have filed a police report (on Feb 15) represented by Bersatu Youth on 11 matters which I think are quite serious related to the current government,” the Perikatan Nasional chairperson said when met by reporters at the Kuala Lumpur Court today.
Wan Saiful was charged today with soliciting a bribe of an unspecified amount and for receiving a bribe of RM6.96 million between July 8, 2022 and Sept 30, 2022.
Last month, Umno information chief Isham Jalil urged Bersatu deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu to focus on Bersatu’s potential corruption charges over alleged misappropriation of government funds, rather than meddle in the affairs of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Muhyiddin, who is also the Pagoh MP, said every party needs funds to operate and this includes funds from corporate supporters.
He said Pakatan Harapan and BN had also received funds from supporters and he questioned why their leaders were not charged in court.
“We actually expected that this will be done by the Harapan-BN government to weaken Bersatu after seeing the growing support for PN,” he claimed. MKINI
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