Zahid: Charity if Hadi does it, corruption if others do it

 

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today lambasted PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang over the latter's statement that it was okay for the Islamist party to give cash handouts to voters as they were a "charitable act".

Speaking to reporters at MCA Chinese New Year do, Zahid called out Hadi as a hypocrite.

"If he does it, then it’s charity, but if others do it, it’s corruption," he said.

The Umno president also branded Hadi as a "political ulama" and urged the latter not to change Islamic rules as he pleases.

"As an ulama, he should not simply change the rules and fatwas.

"Because in the end, a political ulama would not be respected by the rakyat and the Muslims. An ulama must have integrity as a religious scholar," Zahid said.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (right) at the MCA Chinese New Year do. Also in attendance were Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Yesterday, Hadi reportedly defended the party's distribution of cash to voters during the recent 15th general election (GE15).

He claimed that it was a charitable act, hence, not prohibited by electoral law.

"According to election law, a candidate or a candidate’s representative cannot give out cash money, it is up to the public to give alms," Hadi was quoted as saying.

On Jan 3, the Terengganu Umno liaison body filed election petitions to annul the GE15 results for the Kuala Terengganu, Marang and Kemaman parliamentary constituencies.

The petitions raised allegations that PAS had bribed voters by distributing financial aid from the state government through the i-Pension, i-Belia and i-Student initiatives between Nov 15 and 17, 2022 - which was just a few days before GE15. - Mkini