Kuala Lumpur: Muhyiddin Yassin is leaving it to the Bersatu Supreme Council to decide if he should remain the party’s president.
This comes after the former prime minister was slapped with four charges of abuse of power and two charges of money laundering in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme.
“I was elected Bersatu president by the party’s members. Now, I will leave it to the Supreme Council to decide on my position,” he said at a press conference after he was slapped with the charges today.
This morning, Muhyiddin claimed trial to four counts of abuse of power in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme to obtain RM232.5 million for Bersatu. He also pleaded not guilty to two charges of money laundering amounting to RM195 million.
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman is the latest Bersatu leader to be charged in connection with Jana Wibawa.
Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan and Segambut deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad were charged last month with soliciting and accepting bribes involving the programme.
Wan Saiful had relinquished his Bersatu information chief post after he was charged.
Decision to charge made before probe was completed, claims Muhyiddin
Muhiyiddin claimed the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had decided to prosecute him even before the investigation against him was completed.
The Pagoh MP alleged that he was informed yesterday the AGC had decided to file the charges against him even though he had yet to give his statement over one of the abuse of power charges.
He did not say who informed him about this.
“How did they arrive at a decision to charge me when I had not even given my statement yet?” he said.
Muhyiddin claimed the decision to charge him was made by those with “the most power” in the government, accusing them of using enforcement agencies as a political tool.
“Clearly, the charges against me are a form of planned political victimisation. It is an organised political persecution,” he said.
