MP wants MACC to probe Zahid over youth council remarks
Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh wants the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for his remarks at a meeting with Selangor youth councillors, seemingly offering them more allocations in return for helping BN retake the state.
Zahid's remarks was made last weekend at the 32nd annual meeting of the Selangor Youth Council, where he urged the council to help BN regain Selangor in the next general election if they want more funding.
Likening it to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's "I help you, you help me" speech to the Chinese community in Sibu in 2010 which had prompted an MACC investigation, Ramkarpal alleged that Zahid's statement could have negative connotations.
"Zahid should know that his statement above can, similarly, be construed as offering a bribe to the said Selangor Youth Council, that it may not receive funding if it did not help the BN recapture Selangor in the next general election.
"In other words, Zahid’s statement may be seen as offering the said council gratification in the form of funding if it helped BN win Selangor in the next general election which clearly is a possible offence under section 17(b) of the MACC Act, 2009," said the DAP elected representative in a statement.
He noted that as per the section, "a person commits an offence if he corruptly gives or agrees to give or offers any gratification to any agent as an inducement or a reward for doing or forbearing to do, or for having done or forborne to do any act in relation to his principal’s affairs or business, or for showing or forbearing to show favour or disfavor to any person in relation to his principal’s affairs or business”.
"In the circumstances, I urge the MACC to commence investigations into Zahid’s said statement forthwith as same is certainly serious and cannot be repeated at all costs," said the MP.
Ramkarpal said that it is unfortunate that Zahid underestimates the intelligence and maturity of youths in Selangor to the extent that he had no qualms in making such an offer.
"I am confident that the youths of Selangor know what they want and do not need to be told that they will only receive funding if they supported BN.
"They have every right to such funding being citizens of this country, regardless of their political affiliation, and Zahid should be mature enough to understand this," concluded the lawyer.
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