Zahid denies Shukri approached him on 1MDB scandal

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has denied claims by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Shukri Abdull that the latter had approached him to ask Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to step down as prime minister in the wake of the 1MDB scandal.

“It is outside of my knowledge. No (meeting),” the former deputy prime minister told reporters after chairing the monthly Umno meeting at the Umno headquarters yesterday.

Ahmad Zahid, who is Umno acting president, was asked to comment on the revelation by Mohd Shukri at a press conference yesterday that MACC had approached several ministers in Najib’s Cabinet to get them to act against the former prime minister over his alleged involvement in the 1MDB scandal.

Ahmad Zahid then deflected the question to Umno acting deputy president Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein who just answered “no” and shook his head.

In the press conference, Mohd Shukri said that among all the ministers he had approached then (in 2015 when he was MACC deputy chief commissioner (Operations)), only three, namely former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, former Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and former Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah had the courage to speak out against Najib on the matter.

Muhyidddin and Mohd Shafie were later booted out of the government while Ahmad Husni resigned without completing his term of office.

Mohd Shukri had added that he took up early retirement in 2016 because he failed to make headway in the 1MDB and SRC International cases whereby millions of ringgit allegedly were deposited into Najib’s personal banking accounts.

The opposition Pakatan Hararapan coalition ended the six-decade rule of the country by the Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election on May 9 and has appointed Mohd Shukri to lead the MACC in its fight to combat corruption.- Bernama