Perkasa has turned the tables on Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, claiming that the latter has admitted that former top civil servants desire for mega-projects and so forth.

This was in response to Zahid's remarks regarding the movement's vice-president Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman who severely criticised Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak during the Perkasa annual meet over the weekend.

The minister had claimed that perhaps the former Election Commission (EC) chief was sour about not receiving the "thing" he had asked for and hence launched a tirade against Najib.

"This is clear proof and confirmation by a senior ruling party leader and minister that the concern of the people that perhaps many former top civil servants desire for 'things' such as mega-projects, positions, directorships in government-linked companies and more has basis," said Perkasa supreme council member Azrul Akmal Saharudin.

Azrul in a statement today said Zahid’s statement must be taken seriously as it involves the integrity of former top civil servants.

“We urge the government to make it compulsory for all former top civil servants to declare their assets in order to clear their names,” he said.

He added that this was especially important as Zahid’s statement had made it seem as though that former top civil servants used their influence to obtain big projects and grants from the government for their family members.

“When Zahid criticised Abdul Rashid, this shows that Abdul Rashid is a person with integrity and did not misuse his position. This is why he had criticised the government bravely as he had never desired for ‘anything’.

“Zahid’s statement may also mean that the culture of criticising because one did not get ‘something’ is a culture practiced widely in Umno,” he said.

As such, Azrul said it was pertinent for Zahid to clear the names of former top civil servants who had allegedly received ‘things’ because they had kept mum after resigning.

Azmin roasted for pig farm

On another matter, Azrul yesterday roasted Selangor MB Azmin Ali for considering an application for a pig farm in Ladang Tumbok, Kuala Langat, claiming it is a Malay majority area.

He said the proposal tabled on Dec 16 is now awaiting the state's approval and took issue with the MB reportedly giving his blessings and indicating it would be successful.

"If this is true, Perkasa feels it is a huge betrayal towards the Kuala Langat voters who are a majority Malay Muslim, and not consumers of pork - what more to have a farm near them," he said in a statement yesterday.

He ticked PKR Kuala Langat MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid for allowing the proposal to be tabled when 55.25 percent of his constituents were purportedly Malays who are "very sensitive about pigs".

"Is Abdullah Sani too busy with his personal household crisis, that he doesn't care what happens in his constituency?" asked Azrul.

He added there were enough "DAP controlled areas" that were already "full of massage parlours, nightclubs, gambling machines and prostitutes".

"Don't go on to defile Muslim majority areas with pig farms," he concluded, calling for the proposal to be "thrown into the dustbin".

The farm, he said, should instead be built in an area where consumers of pork are the majority.

"We do not stop other races from rearing and consuming pork, but mind the sensitivities of the Muslims," he added.