A Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) board member has confirmed that chairperson Annuar Musa has been suspended with immediate effect.

"We only needed to inform the minister," Nazir Hussin Akthar Hussin told Malaysiakini, when asked to clear the air on the matter.

Earlier, there was confusion over Annuar's status when fellow board member Yusof Yacob told reporters that the suspension was a suggestion.

"Now it is up to the minister, we have given a suggestion," he said after meeting with Rural and Regional Development Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who oversees Mara, at the Mara headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this evening.

Earlier, Ismail told Malaysiakini that the power to appoint a Mara chairperson falls under the minister's jurisdiction, and must be agreed to by the prime minister.

In a statement later, he clarified that the board had the power to suspend the chairperson.

"I was informed by Mara's legal advisor that the Mara board had full authority to suspend (the chairperson) pending the completion of an internal audit.

"This is because it does not involve the appointment and termination, which requires the minister's authority with the prime minister's approval," he said.

When met after the evening meeting, Ismail had also said that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has not been informed of the suspension.

Emergency meeting

This morning, news reports claimed that an emergency board meeting had decided to suspend Annuar, who is also Umno information chief, as Mara chairperson and head of Pelaburan Mara Bhd (PMB) with immediate effect.

In a post on his Facebook page, Annuar said Ismail had consented to the board fast tracking a meeting in the former's absence.

However, Ismail said he was in the dark on the board's decision, prompting a second meeting.

"I wasn't involved (in the morning) meeting. I didn't know about the suspension earlier, but now I know," the minister said after the evening meeting.

Yusof added that Ismail knew about this morning's meeting, but the board did not inform him of the agenda.

The board has since furnished a report on the meeting to the minister

The suspension is reportedly to facilitate investigations into allegations that PMB and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) sponsored the Kelantan football team, which Annuar is linked to.

Commenting on the suspension earlier, Yusof had said: "We don't know how long the investigations will take. We can't only look at what has been said.

"We suspended (Annuar) so that the investigation can be free from his influence or interference."

This allegation was first raised by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim on Jan 12.

Tunku Ismail also revealed several documents detailing the said transactions and questioned if the sponsorship was the reason why UniKL was forced to reduce scholarships for its students by RM700 million last year.

Annuar, who is a former Kelantan Football Association (Kafa) president, has denied the allegations.