Most Umno leaders have given up posts
PETALING JAYA: Most Umno leaders have relinquished their government positions when they get embroiled in court cases.
Some also resigned or were made to step down from their party posts, but most of those who were elected representatives held on to being an MP or assemblyman.
The most recent incident would be that of former Johor state executive councillor Datuk Abdul Latif Bandi who resigned as State Housing and Local Government Committee chairman on June 14 last year, some two months after being charged with 33 counts of graft.
In 2010, former Selangor mentri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo gave up his position as state Opposition Leader after being charged with graft over the purchase of two
plots of land in Section 7, Shah Alam.
He did not resign from Umno nor was he suspended, and he also remained the Sungai Panjang assemblyman.
Dr Mohd Khir had purchased an under-valued “Balinese palace” from a company that had business links with the state government
when he was mentri besar.
He was sentenced to jail for a year on Sept 29 in 2015.
In another case, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib resigned as Selangor mentri besar on April 12, 1997, after being charged in Australia on Dec 22 the year before for possession of undeclared foreign currency.
Muhammad also resigned from all appointed positions, such as that of Selangor and Federal Territory Umno chief and state Barisan Nasional chairman.
He, however, remained as Umno vice-president and Batang Kali assemblyman.
The late Datuk Seri Harun Idris was another Selangor mentri besar who had to step down due to corruption charges in 1976. He was also expelled from Umno.
Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik resigned as Melaka chief minister and Umno Youth chief in 1994 due to a charge of statutory rape involving a minor.
Though only told to step down temporarily until he was cleared of all charges, he opted to quit.
The prosecutor later withdrew the charge citing a lack of evidence.