KUALA LUMPUR: THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has established grounds to start probing Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for his alleged involvement in money politics.
The New Straits Times (NST) has learnt that graft-busters are probing him under Section 17 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, which deals with the offence of giving or accepting gratification by agent.
Insiders told NST that Zahid could be probed for allegedly giving out cash in the run-up to the July Umno polls where he eventually went on to win the presidency, which was also contested by Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and former Umno Youth chief and Rembau member of parliament Khairy Jamaluddin.
It is understood that “evidence” which was supposedly furnished to MACC with regard to the case, involved money exchanging hands among Umno leaders in Sabah.
It is understood that this involved a sum in the region of RM150,000.
MACC confirmed on Sunday that it received a report on Friday, alleging that Zahid had been involved in corrupt practices in his bid to win the presidency.
Those with knowledge of the case, which implicated Zahid as the source of monies that were given out in Sabah, said the matter was by all means not an “internal party matter”, but one which allegedly involved elements that were considered under the law as a criminal act.
The Umno disciplinary board told the NST that it would, for now, leave it to the MACC to probe the case.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Annuar Musa, said the board had yet to receive any reports on Zahid’s alleged transgressions.
It was, however, ready to take up the case if reports on the matter were lodged.
“None (have lodged any report with the disciplinary committee)... there is a window for a report to be lodged with the board,” Annuar told the NST when asked if the disciplinary board was taking up the case involving Zahid.
He indicated that the board was open to conducting an internal probe on allegations of vote-buying in the party, but added that it could not do so without a report first being lodged with it.
Annuar said an internal probe must first be carried out before any disciplinary action could be considered against Zahid for alleged misconduct.
He said this alleged case involving Zahid “was different compared to previous cases of vote-buying among Umno leaders”, including the case of Tan Sri Isa Samad who was suspended for his involvement in money poli-tics during the party polls in 2004.
Annuar said Isa’s case was the result of a complaint, which eventually led to an internal probe being conducted.
“It is not the same. Isa’s case was the result of internal findings.”
On June 24, 2005, Umno’s disciplinary board found Isa guilty of vote-buying and of using agents in the party elections the previous year.
The disciplinary board decided to suspend Isa from all party posts, including his vice-presidency and as Teluk Kemang Umno division head for a duration of six years.
The suspension was eventually reduced to three years by the Supreme Council, following Isa’s appeal and in recognition of his long years in serving the party.
The internal party probe against Isa at that time involved some 20 witnesses.
Isa won the Umno vice-presidency in 2004 with the highest votes followed by Tan Sri Mohd Ali Rustam and former Umno leader Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
His suspension from Umno forced him to let go of his cabinet post as Federal Territories Minister.
The NST tried, but failed to get comments from Zahid over the allegations.