KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi maintains that he did not violate any laws when he announced the allocation approval for youths in Terengganu. The Deputy Prime Minister clarified that the announcement was made before Nomination Day and that he was neither a candidate in the elections nor part of any caretaker state governments.
Ahmad Zahid pointed out that a former sports and youth minister, who himself has made similar announcements, was the one making a fuss about his announcement being regarded as vote-buying. He also mentioned a political party’s information chief who claimed that his announcement constituted political bribery, despite their party engaging in similar actions which were considered charity. Even the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that what Ahmad Zahid announced was not political bribery.
He added, “We are free to announce such initiatives as the event I attended was attended by national youth leaders. After the nomination of the candidates, we already have a set of guidelines which we must follow. What I announced in Terengganu was before the nomination of candidates. This must be understood by those who are criticizing me. MACC chairman Tan Sri Azam Baki stated that the timing was important, and I had made the announcement prior to the nomination of the candidates.”
Ahmad Zahid also responded to the statement made by Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who encouraged candidates to campaign without monetary incentives to comply with the Elections Act. Ahmad Zahid elaborated, “He was telling Barisan candidates not to buy votes, in line with the Elections Act.”
On July 28, Ahmad Zahid announced that RM250,000 had been allocated for the Malaysia Youth Council in Terengganu, followed by RM200,000 for a motoring association in the state, and RM100,000 for a youth organization. The announcement has caused controversy, with some accusing it of being a form of vote-buying.
Tan Sri Azam Baki, the chief commissioner of the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission, stated that there was no corruption involved in awarding the government grants. He emphasized that the grants were part of a government initiative and not a form of vote-buying.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
