An Umno division has defended Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin over the RM100 million corruption scandal.
Cheras Umno chief Syed Ali Alhabshee said the minister should not be linked to the scandal nor should there be calls for his resignation.
“There are some pointing the finger at Khairy and pressuring him to resign. The case has nothing to do with him,” he added.
Syed Ali did not dismiss the possibility that certain quarters were attempting to use the scandal to soil the minister’s reputation, but did not elaborate.
“Leave this matter to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). I am confident that even Khairy is disappointed with the scandal,” he said in a blog posting.
The Umno leader also said he was informed the embezzlement happened in 2008 while Khairy was appointed as youth and sports minister after the last general election.
“So why is Khairy being targeted. I feel this is unfair and ill-motivated.
“I believe Khairy is a leader who adheres to principles and integrity. He would definitely not be in cahoots with any (corrupt) quarters,” he added.
Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief, has come under fire after it was revealed that MACC had arrested a division secretary who masterminded a syndicate to siphon the RM100 million.
During a press conference yesterday, the minister said he accepted responsibility for the scandal but did not answer repeated queries on whether he would resign.
Meanwhile, Cheras Umno secretary Syed Mehdhar Syed Abdullah also defended the minister.
“I don’t see why Khairy should be blamed. This involves the (alleged) wrongdoing of an officer in the ministry. It has nothing to do with the minister,” he said.
“Based on my observation, there are some using this issue to tarnish Khairy’s reputation as an upcoming leader with potential,” he added. -Mkini
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