Kit Siang: Is the home minister a criminal?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should explain the assault allegations against his home minister.

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak must explain if he is aware of the assault allegations against Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang today.

He said this in response to Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo’s call for Zahid to be suspended from the Cabinet to prove that the prime minister is serious about government reform.

Gobind had said that it is “improper” to put a man who has been ordered to answer a civil suit for assault to be in charge of the Home Ministry.

Zahid was sued by businessman Amir Abdullah Bazli for allegedly punching him in the eye on Jan 16, 2006 at the Country Heights recreational club, causing the latter to suffer a nasal bone fracture and a swollen left eye.

Zahid had denied the allegation and applied to the Kuala Lumpur High Court for the case to be thrown out and the application was dismissed by the same court on April 21, 2010.

He later filed a counter suit against the 41-year-old businessman, claiming to have suffered humiliation and emotional trauma as a result of the accusation.

However, last year, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously ruled against Zahid’s bid to strike out the assault suit and ordered the minister to pay RM5,000 in costs.

Lim said a response from Najib to Gobind’s query is in order and the prime minister should also explain whether he had inquired why the police had not charged Zahid for the criminal assault.

He added that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low should also declare whether he agrees that Zahid should stand down as home minister until he has cleared himself.

“The case raises the pertinent question of why Zahid had not been charged by the police for the criminal offence of assault.

“This further raises the question whether Malaysia has a criminal as the new home minister,” said the Gelang Patah MP.

Lim asked if Zahid or Najib is prepared to answer this issue of Zahid’s suitability as home minister on the first working day of Parliament on June 26.