PM Najib: Sabak Bernam MP remains Umno member

March 02, 2012

Abdul Rahman waves outside the Shah Alam Sessions Court ahead of his conviction, March 1, 2011. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 2 — The Sabak Bernam lawmaker sentenced to six year’s jail for making false claims will lose his position as division chief but will remain an Umno MP at least until the next general election, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

“He will remain an MP until the election. We’ll see how it goes after that,” Bernama Online quoted the prime minister and Umno president as saying today.

Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakri and aide Rosli Busro were sentenced yesterday to six years’ jail and fined RM400,000 each for making false claims.

The Shah Alam Sessions Court had yesterday found the two guilty on eight counts of making false claims totalling RM80,000 for events that never took place four years ago.

But the court granted them a stay of execution pending appeal, allowing Abdul Rahman to retain his seat for the moment.

A by-election will not be called even if Abdul Rahman does not appeal the sentence as he has served over two-thirds of the five-year term.