KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today agreed that the rule of law should be applied equally, but maintained that he was a victim of selective prosecution due to his position as a politician.
The Umno president said this under cross examination by lead prosecutor Datuk Raja Rozela Raja Toran at the High Court after she put him through a series of questions on corruption, money and politics.
She got the ball rolling by reminding Zahid about what he had said on Tuesday about the three Umno Members of Parliament (MP) who had abandoned ship following allegations of misappropriation of party funds.
"Remember what you said about the three MPs. We have been hearing this kind of stories all the time... it looks like politics and money just cannot be separated.
"Is it reasonable for me to say that?"
Zahid responded by saying that every politician needed money to carry out activities.
"Money is not everything, but everything needs money," he said.
Hearing his response, the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) then cornered him about the increasing number of corruption cases that were happening in the country.
Raja Rozela: Do you agree that corruption, misappropriation of funds, fraud and bribery cases are becoming rampant in the country?
Zahid: I don't agree
Raja Rozela: You don't agree?... Maybe you haven't read the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article about Malaysia being listed as the most corrupted country. It is sad to hear that, isn't it... did you not read the article?
Zahid: I just read it at a glance.
Raja Rozela: Meaning you just read the headline or the full report?
Zahid: I read the headline and glanced over the article.
Raja Rozela: Is there any truth in the WSJ report?
Zahid: I think it is just a perception... it is not the actual index.
Raja Rozela: Whether it is perception or otherwise, it is still very worrying, isn't it?
Zahid: I agree that it is worrying.
Raja Rozela: Do you agree we must go all out to fight against corruption?
Zahid: I agree, corruption must be eradicated.
The senior DPP then zoomed in on Zahid's defence that the charges against him were borne out of a political vendetta.
Zahid agreed that the rule of law should be applied equally to everyone, but maintained that he was a victim of selective prosecution.
Raja Rozela: Most politicians who are charged almost always end up saying they are victims of a political conspiracy. However, if a school gardener ends up in court, he cannot use this same narrative... will he make the same claim of a (conspiracy)....?
Zahid: Well if the gardener is an Umno branch chief, he may say it too....
Raja Rozela: You said charges against you are politically motivated prosecution. However, throughout your case, can you describe anything that was produced as politically motivated?
Zahid: It did not happen on the surface of it... but I know what happened behind the scenes. As I said yesterday, that is what happened to me.
Zahid, 69, is facing 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, graft and money laundering involving charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi funds and he has been ordered to enter his defence against all charges.
The trial before High Court Judge Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.