Blow after blow

In a situation which is full of uncertainty and worry ... call for a meeting of the supreme council - Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein

Divisions can present a motion for an EGM - Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin

It’s not as if the general election is going to be held tomorrow - Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman

Some Umno leaders say there are ways to remove a defiant party president. Umno veteran Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad, however, is puzzled – why bother when those calling for Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s ouster are leaving the party anyway. But that’s not the only problem that the former DPM is facing. He has just got one more – from the MACC.

PETALING JAYA: Embattled Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been delivered yet another blow. This time, a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been lodged over his post as Umno president.

The report alleged that the former deputy prime minister bribed Umno members into voting him in as president during the party election in June.

MACC deputy chief commissioner (operation) Datuk Seri Azam Bak confirmed that the report was lodged on Friday.

“We are looking into it,” he said. “We will investigate and if necessary, call him (Ahmad Zahid) in for questioning if there are elements of corruption.”

It is still unclear how much money was involved and how many Umno members allegedly received bribes.

Ahmad Zahid took on the presidency after he won 99 divisions and 39,197 popular votes, while Khairy Jamaluddin won 61 divisions and 32,592 votes.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who also vied for the post, won only 30 divisions and 20,462 votes.

On June 30, Khairy tweeted that the voting system favoured the “warlords” who had a strong hold on their divisions and that many were instructed, threatened and forced to follow their choice.

In an interview prior to the Umno presidential polls, Ahmad Zahid said the party had to eradicate the culture of warlords and money politics and that the latter was a problem that had been brought up for many years, even leading to Umno splitting into two in 1987.

He added that despite efforts to eradicate money politics, it “may still exist”.

He is currently facing 46 charges of CBT, graft and money laundering – 11 counts of CBT involving RM20,833,733.69, eight graft charges amounting to RM21,250,000 and 27 money-laundering charges totalling RM72,063,618.15.