Politics

Bersatu confirms info chief resignation [NSTTV]

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has accepted the resignation of Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan as the party's information chief effective today.

Muhyiddin said the party would be appointing someone from the supreme council to replace him.

"I have met with Wan Saiful earlier this morning and he has agreed to resign as information chief effective today.

"His replacement will be from the supreme council that I will announce soon," he told reporters after attending the launch of Perikatan Nasional member of parliaments' fund for Turkiye and Syria earthquake victims at Parliament here today.

Muhyiddin said an official resignation letter from Wan Saiful would be delivered to the party by today.

He said the move by Wan Saiful was admirable and accepting the latter's resignation was not to admit that he was guilty of the allegations he was facing.

"It was a voluntary resignation, which is admirable. This is not a punishment for him.

"This is the standard we are showing when facing accusations so there would not be negative perceptions against the party," he said.

Earlier today at Parliament, Wan Saiful announced his intention to resign as the Bersatu information chief following a corruption case and to clear his name.

Yesterday, Wan Saiful pleaded not guilty before the Sessions Court on two charges of soliciting and accepting bribes amounting to RM6.9 million involving the Jana Wibawa project worth RM232 million last year.

According to the charges, Wan Saiful allegedly asked for money from Lian Tan Chuan, as an inducement to help Nepturis Sdn Bhd get the Central Spine Road: Certificate to East Coast Highway Interchange project from the Malaysian Government, on a pre-qualification basis worth RM232 million at Royal Lake Club, Taman Tasik Perdana, April last year.

He is also alleged to have received a bribe of RM6.9 million through the CIMB Bank Bhd account belonging to his company, WSA Advisory Group Sdn Bhd, from the Maybank Islamic Bhd account belonging to Nepturis Sdn Bhd.

It was as a reward for helping the company involved in obtaining a letter of approval for the same project at CIMB Bank Bhd's Bukit Tunku branch, here, between July 8 and Sept 30 last year.

The accused is charged with committing the offense in accordance with Section 16(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 (Act 694), which can be punished under Section 24(1) of the act.

If found guilty, the accused can be imprisoned up to a maximum of 20 years, fined not less than five times the amount or value of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher.

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