Stop hiding behind MACC, sacked PKR leader tells Anwar, Saifuddin

Sacked PKR leader Zakaria Abdul Hamid has urged party president Anwar Ibrahim and secretary-general, Saifuddin Nasution, to stop "hiding" behind the MACC to justify their actions.

"I reiterate that my sacking was unlawful and unjust, and call upon Anwar, Saifudin and the party leadership to set things right.

"I further call upon them to stop hiding behind the MACC and dangling its name to hide their own wrongdoing. They must instead act fairly in accordance with the principles of Reformasi," he said in a statement late last night,

PKR's central leadership committee had used a MACC letter detailing their probe into alleged vote-buying activities by Zakaria (photo) during the party elections last year, as justification for his sacking.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and leaders aligned to him, yesterday called on Anwar to apologise for the "hasty decision".

Anwar refused to apologise, saying not all of Azmin's people were on board with the call.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin read out details from the MACC letter which stated that their probe, which reportedly stated that Zakaria had offered a RM20,000 Works Ministry contract to Bera PKR leaders.

Zakaria had also allegedly urged the Bera PKR leaders to apply for contracts under a RM300,000 allocation from the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

In his statement last night, Zakaria said he was shocked by how Saifuddin put a "spin" on the case.

"The facts are clear. I told the meeting of branch members that there are small projects from the Housing Ministry for which the members can apply from the relevant district council.

"Let me emphasise that they were only asked to apply for it. What is wrong with that? Where is the offence?

"The ultimate decision whether to award any small project is up to the authority concerned. And in fact, finally, none of them were awarded any project at all," he said.

Zakaria also claimed that MACC deputy commissioner (operations) Azam Baki (below) had confirmed that there would be no charges against him.

Azam had said such in a phone interview with TV3 on Nov 25.

"After this case was resolved, the deputy public prosecutor decided there would be no charges against them," he said.

But according to sources, the letter specifically stated that PKR should take disciplinary action against Zakaria.

However, Zakaria argues as the letter was wrongly sent, he has a right to due process before being sacked.

He had been given two weeks to appeal his sacking.

Besides Zakaria, PKR had also sacked a member, Ismail Dulhadi who was also implicated in the case.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement today, security forces veterans group Patriot called for the MACC to take action against Zakaria and Ismail.

"Patriot would like to see MACC get to the bottom of the case and charge the two PKR members if there are strong evidence against them. This is new Malaysia and the people have no tolerance to corruption," said its president Mohamed Arshad Raji.

He also said it was curious why Azmin's camp had defended the duo.

"While the criminality of the case regarding corruption is to be determined by the court, it surely infringed ethics and party regulations if the allegations are true.

"It is of public interest why the twenty PKR supreme council members, among whom are three cabinet members, so adamantly defended the two members. 

"The merits of the case should have been studied before they protested against the sacking of the duo," he said.

Meanwhile in a statement later, PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil reiterated the party leadership council's decision to sack Zakaria, saying it was done after considering all facts given in the MACC letter.

"We reiterate our party's commitment to reject corruption, in line with the government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad's commitment to make Malaysia clean and free from corruption," he said in a statement.