Kadar Shah Submit Evidences to ACA

Malaysiakini.com
Chan Kok Leong Sep 4, 08 1:12pm

Outspoken grassroots leader Kadar Shah Sulaiman Ninam Shah followed up an initial report against the party president with another one today.

Alleging that it has been a month since former Umno Youth exco member Mazlan Harun's report, Kadar Shah put in a second report.

Armed with an album of photographs and video clip and accompanied by Mazlan, the Bandar Muar Umno branch leader said he had submitted proof of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's alleged misdeeds.

On Aug 5, Mazlan had lodged a report with the Federal Territory ACA office, alleging that Abdullah had abused government machinery to garner support for himself in the coming party elections.

Mazlan's report was based on an open letter written by Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno division chief Zahar Hashim and addressed to the party's secretary-general, demanding that both Abdullah and Najib be disciplined for allegedly abusing their power.

The letter alleged that Abdullah and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak had used a government agency under the Information Ministry called the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) as their campaigning platform in Umno.

Met leaders of nine states

Repeating the allegations, Kadar Shah said: "I've given proof to the ACA to support the first report.

"Other than photographs, there is also a video clip of the alleged meetings."

On why he sought the help of ACA instead of the Umno disciplinary board, Kadar Shah said: "We've already reported this to Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor but nothing has been done.

"But how can we expect them to take action against themselves?" he added.

According to Kadar Shah, Abdullah and his deputy had met with branch and division leaders of nine states from May 3 till June 29.

"Other than the hotel accommodation, money (RM50-RM200) were also handed out," said Kadar Shah.

Abdullah has since denied that there have been any wrongdoings during his meeting with the branch and division leaders.

The premier said what he did was "normal and nothing to fuss about".

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ACA report against Abdullah, Najib

Malaysiakini.com
Syed Jaymal Zahiid Aug 5, 08 12:36pm

An Umno veteran today lodged a complaint against party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and deputy president Najib Abdul Razak with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for alleged abuse of power.

The complainant, former Umno youth exco member Mazlan Harun (left), claimed that both Abdullah and Najib - who are prime minister and deputy respectively - had abused government machineries to garner support among Umno members in a bid to sustain their positions in the coming party elections.

The complaint was based on an open letter written by Umno Petaling Jaya Selatan division chief Zahar Hashim and addressed to the party’s secretary-general, demanding that both Abdullah and Najib be disciplined for allegedly abusing their power.

In a blog that published the letter, the Umno president and his deputy were accused of using a government agency under the Information Ministry called the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) as their party campaigning platform.

"Abdullah met with Umno leaders through Jasa in Kuala Lumpur and gave them money and kain pelikat (sarong) or batik while providing them with four-star hotel accommodation as well as entertainment," read the blog.

Explicitly campaigning

Zahar said a memo dated July 8 - issued by the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur - had invited all Umno division, branch, Putera, Wanita and Puteri wing leaders nationwide to attend a closed-door briefing on July 10 at the party headquarters.

At that briefing, Zahar in his letter accused Abdullah and Najib of explicitly campaigning for themselves in view of defending their number one and number two positions respectively at the party polls scheduled for December this year.

"The content of their speeches clearly reflected abuse of power and were intended at persuading division leaders (to support their party positions)," Zahar said in the letter.

According to Zahar, holding gatherings and giving out ‘pocket money’ to party members are clear violations of party guidelines and both the president and deputy president are not exceptions to the rule.

He said both Abdullah and Najib went against guidelines which they themselves had helped compile. "Is this what they mean by leadership by example?" asked Zahar.

The letter also slammed the planned handover of power by Abdullah to Najib in two years' time as a ‘political bribery of the highest order’ though it did not specify why such a move was considered a form of political bribery.

Internal feuds?

Mazlan, when met later, refused to reveal the details of his report, saying he wants the matter to be investigated by the ACA.

"Let’s leave it to the ACA to investigate. I am lodging the report so that there will be no abuse of power in the party and so that the party elections will be held in a fair and free manner," he said.

Asked if the report was an indication of internal feuds in Umno, Mazlan said that his actions were merely a ‘democratic process’, adding that the report was not lodged against Umno as a whole, but against individuals within the party.

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PM dismisses 'abuse of power' charge

Malaysiakini.com
Syed Jaymal Zahiid Aug 12, 08 5:31pm

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today shrugged off the accusation that he and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak had abused their power to hold onto the top two posts in the coming Umno polls.

Responding to former Umno Youth exco Mazlan Harun's accusation that the prime minister and Najib had used government machineries as a campaigning platform, Abdullah said what he did was "normal and nothing to fuss about".

"What we did had the approval of the party’s supreme council. It’s not like me and Najib made a secret pact and conspired to politically bribe party members," he told a press conference in Serdang.

The Umno president was there to launch the 2008 Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism expo.

On Aug 5, Mazlan lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) against Abdullah and Najib claiming that both had used government machineries to garner support among Umno members in a bid to sustain their positions in the coming party elections.

The complaint was based on an open letter written by Umno Petaling Jaya Selatan division chief Zahar Hashim and addressed to the party’s secretary-general, demanding that both Abdullah and Najib be disciplined for allegedly abusing their power.

In a blog that published the letter, the Umno president and his deputy were accused of using a government agency under the Information Ministry called the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) as their campaigning platform.

A few days later, the ACA subsequently announced that they would call in both the prime minister and the deputy prime minister for questioning.

Quizzed on this, Abdullah offered a vague response. He said: "Once we have decided on the matter, then we would let ACA investigate."

Money politics

Meanwhile, the prime minister also responded to the statement made by Umno vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin that vote-buying in the ruling party is rampant.

Muhyiddin had said that while vote-buying in the past occurred in ballots for top Umno posts, it had now spread to the branch level.

Abdullah also revealed that he had received reports regarding this.

"I have heard about this and what I can do is tell those involved to stop. It is not good for the party and for them as well as they are only lying to themselves," he said.

He added that leaders must be elected based on merits, his or her abilities to serve and lead and not depend on money to garner support.