Zahid: I am persecuted over my charity work

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has testified today that more than RM109 million of Yayasan Akalbudi funds have been utilised for both Islamic and general charity work.

The former deputy prime minister told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that this is because not all contributions were recorded, which is in accordance with the Islamic principle of “the left hand should not know what the right hand is doing”.

According to an Islamic hadith, Prophet Muhammad said, among others, that “a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembers Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears”.

The prophet’s saying is meant to highlight the importance of being discreet when performing a good deed with noble intentions, such as charity.

During the Yayasan Akalbudi corruption trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah, Zahid was testifying to refute the prosecution’s contention that not a single sen from the foundation had been used for charity work.

The prosecution’s contention was over the alleged lack of notation in the foundation’s contribution records per exhibits D5 and D6.

‘What I did was for good deeds’

Zahid was testifying during examination-in-chief by his defence counsel Ahmad Zaidi Zainal.

“Your honour, today is Friday, I do not wish to counter any statement made by any party in accordance to the principle I hold on to, that is if the right hand gives, then the left hand need not know.

“When the list D5 and D6 was tendered in court (by the prosecution), I have to state as untrue the (prosecution) statement that not a single sen of Yayasan Akalbudi funds was spent for charity and aid for religious matters as well as for the poor. The RM109 million was only part of the contribution given.

“Therefore, I seek justice as what I did was for good deeds, the money originated from my own income, my own allowance, my own business, which I put with good intentions into the foundation that I set up,” Zahid testified.

“Is this something that should result in shame, embarrassment and oppression levelled against me?” he asked.

He added that while there was some technical weakness in the record-keeping of the foundation due to the actions of past corporate secretaries, the charity work he did was fully for the grace of Allah.

Zahid also told the court that Yayasan Akalbudi’s previous trustees who turned into prosecution witnesses had never raised issues about how the foundation’s monies were utilised during their tenure.

The former home minister was replying to questions from Zaidi in relation to Samsuri Tun, Zulkifli Senteri, Muhammad Nabil Salleh, Khairuddin Tarmizi, who were the fourth, seventh, eighth and 15th prosecution witnesses, respectively.

Zaidi: During their appointments when they held the position of trustees for Yayasan Akalbudi, did they, at any time, raise any issue or oppose the activities of Yayasan Akalbudi?

Zahid: Never at all.

Defence stage on May 23

The Bagan Datuk MP also reiterated “100 percent” that the funds in Yayasan Akalbudi are from his own contribution and none from any of the said previous trustees.

By the end of the proceedings, the accused had wrapped up reading out his 27-page witness statement. The defence stage of the trial will resume on May 23.

Besides Zaidi, other members of the defence team included lawyers Hisyam Teh Poh Teik and Hamidi Mohd Noh.

Deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran led the prosecution team.

On April 13 when he first took the witness stand, Zahid testified he founded Yayasan Akalbudi in 1997 for the sake of charity and religion as at the time he was using about three-quarters of his monthly corporate salary of RM120,000 for such purposes anyway.

On Jan 24, the court had ordered Zahid to enter his defence on 12 criminal breaches of trust charges, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to the foundation.

The trial began on Nov 18, 2019. The prosecution rested its case on March 19 last year after calling 99 witnesses. - Mkini