Pros and cons of whether Muhyiddin should quit as party chief

 

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin was charged on Friday with four counts of abuse of power and two counts of money laundering.

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst has called for consistency on the controversial question of whether political leaders should step down on being charged with criminal offences.

Council of Professors fellow Jeniri Amir said calls for Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation were unjustified, following his arraignment yesterday on six charges of corruption and money laundering.

Jeniri said there should not be any double standard.

If Muhyiddin were to step down, then what about Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and other people involved in court cases, he said. “We need to be consistent.”

Zahid is on trial over 47 corruption charges in relation to Yayasan Akalbudi, a foundation he heads, while Lim Guan Eng, now DAP chairman, is on trial over alleged kickbacks and misappropriating land, among other charges, while he has chief minister of Penang.

However, another political analyst, Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara, said Muhyiddin’s resignation as Bersatu president would allow the party to say that the party was taking responsibility for a “court cluster” in Bersatu.

“They will be different from other political party leaders who have not distanced themselves (from their positions) despite having court cases,” Azmi said, referring to Lim and Zahid, who is the Umno president.

It was important for Bersatu to do so as the party had been harping on the “court cluster” in Umno involving Zahid, Najib Razak and others facing trial on various charges.

Azmi suggested Muhyiddin follow in the footsteps of Wan Saiful Wan Jan who resigned as the party’s information chief after being charged last month with soliciting and accepting bribes.

On Wednesday, Bersatu information chief Razali Idris said it was “illogical” for Muhyiddin to resign from his post, citing political prosecution. He said other Bersatu leaders would not agree to Muhyiddin’s resignation. Muhyiddin has since said he would leave it to the party’s top leadership to decide on his fate. - FMT