Why charge Zahid, not ex-Umno leaders who party-hopped, Guan Eng asks MACC

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi alleged in court that Mustapa Mohamed, Mas Ermieyati Samsuddin and Noor Azmi Ghazali left Umno to join Bersatu after the last general election out of fear of being prosecuted by MACC.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) practised double standards in charging Umno president Zahid Hamidi for allegedly receiving bribes while not acting against his former party colleagues who defected to Bersatu, says DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng.

The Bagan MP said that the MACC is only looking into the case of three such former Umno leaders after Zahid had exposed them in court while making his defence.

Lim said the three, who switched to Bersatu after the last general election (GE14), are now holding the posts of a minister and two deputy ministers in the current government.

In a recent parliamentary written reply, law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh that the MACC was looking into the allegations against economic affairs minister Mustapa Mohamed, deputy law minister Mas Ermieyati Samsuddin and deputy health minister Noor Azmi Ghazali.

-ADVERTISEMENT-

Ads by 

He added that it was based on reports lodged with the MACC on the alleged misappropriation of Umno funds worth tens of millions of ringgit by these leaders while they were in Umno prior to GE14.

In June, Zahid had testified that the three MPs, namely Mustapa (Jeli), Mas Ermieyati (Masjid Tanah) and Noor Azmi (Bagan Serai) left the party to join Bersatu “out of fear” that they would be investigated by MACC.

Zahid claimed that Mustapa, who was also the then Kelantan Umno chief, had received RM30 million that was supposed to be used to bring home Kelantan residents from the Klang Valley to vote in GE14, but it did not happen.

He also said Mas Ermieyati had been entrusted with funds to manage Puteri Umno in GE14, but claimed it was transferred to another account for her personal use. He also alleged Noor Azmi’s brother had misappropriated funds meant for development in his parliamentary constituency.

Lim said this raised the question of double-standards by MACC chief Azam Baki which has compromised the independence and integrity of the MACC.

“Azam Baki should resign over this fiasco for failing to uphold the highest standards of integrity, independence and professionalism of MACC as evidenced by this issue and a few others,” he said in a statement.

“He should resign for allowing MACC to be used as a political weapon for the benefit of the government by only acting against MPs who are not aligned to the government leadership and stopping such action when they defect to support the prime minister,” he said. - FMT