Bersatu to lodge MACC, police reports after MPs back Anwar’s govt

Bersatu to lodge MACC, police reports after MPs back Anwar’s govt

Party president Muhyiddin Yassin says the MPs were threatened and offered development funds in exchange for their support.

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin (centre) chaired an emergency meeting with party leaders earlier tonight after four of its MPs backed the government.
KUALA LUMPUR:
Bersatu will lodge reports with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after four of its MPs pledged their support for the government.

Party president Muhyiddin Yassin said there was evidence that the four MPs were either threatened or offered development allocations in exchange for their support.

“This violates the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

“We will file a report with the police and MACC within a day or two,” he said at a press conference after chairing an emergency meeting.

Jeli MP Zahari Kechik, Gua Musang MP Azizi Abu Naim, Labuan MP Suhaili Abdul Rahman and Kuala Kangsar MP Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid have stated their support for Anwar Ibrahim’s government.

They said they were supporting Anwar for the sake of their constituents.

Suhaili has already been suspended from Bersatu for six years, and Iskandar Dzulkarnain for four years.

Muhyiddin went on to say that Azizi had informed the party of the offers he received, but Azizi said he had rejected them.

“However, three days later, he announced his support (for the unity government). We suspect that something may have occurred that violated the MACC Act.”

Muhyiddin said it was the same with Iskandar Dzulkarnain, adding that a tycoon had threatened him by claiming that the MACC would take action against him if he did not support the government.

He also said that the anti-hopping bill that was passed last year should be reviewed as there were several flaws that needed to be rectified.

Under the bill, MPs will lose their seats if they choose to jump to another party. Exceptions will be provided for MPs who are sacked by their party or if their party is dissolved or deregistered.

Muhyiddin said the statement by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul that the four MPs had not violated the anti-party-hopping law might have been influenced by the latter’s affiliation with PKR.

“Even though according to the provisions, the Speaker is supposed to be impartial. In this case, he is from PKR.”

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