Zahid never denied RM230 million claim, says PH

DAP Youth chief says MACC should not wait for a report to be made as the commission can file one of its own to start probe into claim made by former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) shouldn’t ignore the allegation that Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had, at one point, over RM230 million in his bank account.

DAP Youth chief Wong Kah Woh, in saying this, pointed out that Zahid had never actually denied the allegation made by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad last week.

“The MACC chief said that the allegation was based on a story and hence, they cannot investigate it.

“But it is MACC’s duty to investigate any allegations of wrongdoing or corrupt practices.

“And we believe, from Zahid’s reply to the allegation, there was an implied admission to the allegation when he said he was a businessman before entering politics,” Wong told a press conference here today.

He added that MACC, like the police, didn’t have to wait for a report to be lodged before commencing an investigation.

The anti-graft agency can lodge the report itself and open an investigation paper based on it, he added.

Wong was responding to MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad, who was reported as saying that the agency could only investigate the allegation if there was a complaint with tangible evidence. Dzulkifli said to date, no such report had been lodged with MACC.

“The allegation is based on a story. There is nothing concrete and the commission cannot act on a story,” Dzulkifli was quoted as saying by The Star yesterday.

Mahathir had claimed that Zahid himself revealed the RM230 million in his bank account, allegedly when declaring his assets in 1996.

In response to the former prime minister’s allegation, Zahid told Baling Umno division members that he was ready to be probed by MACC. The Bagan Datuk MP added that he was just the Umno Youth leader at the time and had no position in the cabinet.

According to news portal Astro Awani, Zahid admitted to being a successful businessman and hence did not see anything wrong with having the money in his account as it was all legitimate.

PPBM Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman meanwhile questioned how a Youth chief could acquire assets amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit.

“If you calculate the inflation rate and all, that amount then would be worth about RM1 billion today.”

He added that this was why it was so important for civil servants and even politicians to declare their assets to the public.

“That was Tun’s (Mahathir) time, I can’t change that. But we can make sure when Pakatan Harapan comes into power, this never happens again.

“Whatever contract, tenders, should be disclosed to the public. Your source of income must be disclosed,” he said. - FMT