Umno president Zahid demands apologies from ex-Malaysian PMs
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PARIT RAJA • Two former Malaysian prime ministers - Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad - have been served letters of demand by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid wants both of them to apologise over allegations made during recent speeches in the run-up to the Johor state election.
On Feb 16, Mr Muhyiddin had claimed in a speech that Zahid, who faces dozens of graft charges, had visited his home, bringing along files and seeking help from him.
He said he refused to help, prompting Zahid to back efforts to oust him as prime minister. Mr Muhyiddin quit as prime minister on Aug 15 last year after a group of Umno MPs, including Zahid, withdrew their support for him, costing him his majority in Parliament.
In the case of Dr Mahathir, he told reporters on Feb 23 that Zahid was looking for ways to get corruption charges against him dropped. The cases against Zahid were instituted after Pakatan Harapan, the rival coalition to Umno-led Barisan Nasional, came to power in May 2018.
Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister while Pakatan Harapan was in government, claimed that Zahid visited him at his house along with three others.
Zahid has denied these accusations.
He is facing 47 counts of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and bribery over tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi, a charitable organisation he founded.
He is also facing 40 charges of bribery involving more than RM43 million (S$14 million) over a foreign visa system.
Zahid told reporters on Sunday that his lawyers have sent letters of demand to Mr Muhyiddin and Dr Mahathir.
He maintained that he never went to see Mr Muhyiddin with files of court documents.
Lawyers representing Zahid, Messrs Shahrul Hamidi & Haziq, issued a statement on Sunday saying that the remarks made by Mr Muhyiddin on Feb 16 were "unsubstantiated, malicious and defamatory". Mr Muhyiddin has been given seven days to stop the publication of his remarks and issue an open apology to Zahid, they said.
THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
