A Malaysian cabinet minister who has become the highest-profile victim of an anti-graft campaign, is set to resign after failing to quash charges of vote-buying against him, reports said Saturday.

Federal Territories Minister Isa Samad was asked to resign from his cabinet post on Friday after the ruling party upheld charges that he bought votes in last year's internal leadership election.

In the race for the three vice-presidential posts in the party, Isa garnered the highest number of votes, effectively claiming the party's third most powerful post.

"If they want me to resign, I will resign," Isa was quoted as saying by the Star daily.

"I have no problem resigning from the post," he said.

"My supporters have accepted the decision for the sake of party unity," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times . He added that his family had also done likewise. "No one is crying about it."

Asked when he will tender his resignation, he said he would resign once he had evaluated "how much work was left in the ministry."

"I will try to clear as much backlog before I resign."

Denied the charges

Earlier this year the disciplinary board of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (Umno) found Isa guilty of buying votes in last year's leadership elections and suspended him.

However Isa, who has denied the charges, retained his cabinet post and filed an appeal in July to the supreme council, Unmno's highest decision-making body. It announced Friday that Isa's six-year suspension would be cut to three years, due to Isa's "good conduct since his suspension" and his more than 20 years of service in Umno.

"I find the decision amusing, but I accept it," said Isa.

Isa said however he would not resign as a member of Parliament for his constituency of Jempol in southern Negri Sembilan state. He was formerly the state's chief minister for two decades.

Abdullah launched a campaign against graft after he took power in October 2003, surprising critics who were sceptical of his pre-election promise to be ruthless with corrupt officials.