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KOTA KINABALU, June 21 — Sabah Umno chief Datuk Bung Moktar Radin said that it will be seeking legal advice on the civil forfeiture suit filed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The Kinabatangan MP, however, said that the money, believed to be about RM1 million, was given before he took up the party’s top state position, and the account has since been frozen.

“Actually, this thing happened before I took my position,” he said in a WhatsApp message to Malay Mail.

“Anyway, I’ve been informed the amount is around 1M (sic), and the money has been frozen by the government,” he said, adding that he did not know what happened to the money.

Bung said that the party will be consulting with its lawyers before deciding on its next course of action.

Earlier today, MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya said the anti-graft agency was trying to recover some RM270 million belonging to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that was dispersed from Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s AmBank account via 41 civil forfeiture suits.

The lawsuits were filed two days ago against individuals and entities including political parties.

Of the RM270 million, RM212 million (78.5 per cent) was being sought from Umno divisions.

Umno acting president Datuk Mohamad Hasan was reported to have said he will fight the forfeiture in court and has already written a letter to the MACC to explain why the money should be returned to the party instead.

PUTRAJAYA, June 21 — Lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who is facing money laundering charges totalling RM9.5 million succeeded in his bid to reclaim his passport to travel to Australia for work purposes.

A Court of Appeal three-member bench comprising Justices Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi, Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang and Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah allowed Muhammad Shafee’s application for the release of his passport to travel to Sydney, Australia from June 24 until July 1.

“We are of the view that there was a real need for the applicant (Muhammad Shafee) to be with the solicitors and client there,” said Justice Ahmadi who chaired the bench.

He said there was no evidence that Muhammad Shafee was a flight risk, adding that the prosecution has not shown any evidence of him being a flight risk.

“We are mindful that the accused person in the Australia case is entitled to have a solicitor of his own choice,” Justice Ahmadi said.

His counsel Harvinderjit Singh told the court that Muhammad Shafee would return his passport to the court by July 3 and would also report his return from Australia.

Muhammad Shafee is facing two charges of money laundering involving RM9.5 million that he allegedly received from former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He was also charged under the Income Tax Act with two counts of making false declarations to the Inland Revenue Board by not including the RM9.5 million in his tax filing for the year.

On May 14, this year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed Muhammad Shafee’s application for the release of his passport, which was impounded by the court, to attend to a client, a Malaysian, who is facing drug trafficking charges in a court in Australia.

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah held that Muhammad Shafee’s presence in Australia, requested in a letter dated May 13, 2019, was merely to assist in the case as there were Australian solicitors on record.

Earlier, in today’s proceeding at the Court of Appeal, Harvinderjit Singh submitted that Muhammad Shafee was not a flight risk and that he had travelled overseas four times after the charges and had returned to Malaysia.

“He has got three wives; his family are all here. There is no reason for him not to come back,” he said adding that his client in Australia needed legal advice on whether to contest the charge or enter into a plea bargain.

Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz countered saying that Muhammad Shafee had no reason to be in Australia as the client has a local counsel. — Bernama

KUANTAN: PAS is not seeking to be the leader in its cooperation with Umno even though several Youth and Ulama delegates are urging the party to take the lead, said Abdul Hadi Awang,

Speaking to reporters after officiating the party’s 65th muktamar today, the PAS president also did not rule out the possibility that a third party, that is neither Umno or PAS, could lead the way.

“PAS will not demand unless others ask us to lead, we talk about Islam leadership, not Umno or PAS, it could be a third party, politics is flexible.” he said.

Yesterday, Kedah PAS Youth delegate Nasrun Othman urged the party to take the lead in the cooperation with Umno.

On the cooperation with Umno, Hadi admitted that some members of both parties had fears of working with one another, though these could be overcome.

“It’s normal to be cautious, in PAS there are those with a phobia of Umno, in Umno there are those with a phobia of PAS,” he said.

As Muslims, Hadi said, both parties need to put the needs of the ummah (people) first.

“In the early stages, there was a feeling that old differences will resurface but we’ve overcome this.

“The people of Memali can also accept Umno because national interests take precedence over personal interests,” he said, adding that the political cooperation needed the support and involvement of all races.

The Memali incident of Nov 19, 1985 saw a massive police siege on a village in Baling, Kedah, which ended with 14 residents and four police officers killed.

KUANTAN: Presiden PAS, Abdul Hadi Awang berkata, parti itu tidak akan mengetuai kerjasama politik dengan Umno, tetapi beliau tidak menolak kemungkinan ada pihak ke-3 yang akan memimpin kerjasama 2 parti itu.

“PAS tidak menuntut, kecuali orang minta kita ke hadapan (mengetuai kerjasama).

“Kita sebut kepimpinan Islam, bukan Umno atau PAS (saja boleh jadi ketua), boleh jadi pihak ke-3, politik ini fleksibel,” katanya selepas perasmian Muktamar PAS ke-65 di sini, hari ini.

Semalam, perwakilan Pemuda PAS Kedah, Nasrun Othman menggesa parti Islam itu memimpin kerjasama Umno-PAS untuk mendapat manfaat daripadanya.

Sementara itu, Hadi mengakui ada ahli PAS dan Umno yang fobia dengan kerjasama kedua-dua parti berkenaan.

“Berhati-hati itu perkara biasa. Dalam PAS ada Umno fobia, dalam Umno pun ada PAS fobia. Itu keterangan masa lalu yang boleh diselesaikan, kita sebagai Islam ada moral kita, utamakan ummah dahulu.

“Pada pringkat awal (kerjasama Umno-PAS) ada perasaan perbezaan lama berlaku, itu kita dapat selesaikan.

“Orang Memali pun dapat terima Umno kerana kepentingan nasional mengatasi kepentingan peribadi,” katanya merujuk pihak terbabit dalam peristiwa berdarah di Kampung Memali, Kedah pada 1985 yang mengorbankan 14 penduduk kampung dan 4 anggota polis.

KUANTAN: PAS menolak pemimpin parti politik yang terpalit dengan aktiviti tidak bermoral, kata Abdul Hadi Awang.

Presiden PAS itu berkata, pemimpin perlu membubarkan parti dan meletak jawatan jika ada dalam kalangan mereka terlibat melakukan aktiviti tidak bermoral.

Katanya, PAS malu dengan perlakuan tidak bermoral dan secara berkias Hadi berkata, beliau bersedia membubarkan parti jika mana-mana “anak buahnya” dibuktikan terpalit dengan aktiviti tidak bermoral.

“Media (sila) laporkan bahawa PAS tolak pemimpin parti politik tidak bermoral. Kita tidak mahu sebut nama, siapa makan cili dia rasa pedas.

“Kalau sayalah, anak buah saya macam ini (tidak bermoral), saya letak jawatan dan bubar sahaja parti. Kepada kita moral adalah teras dalam parti dan jemaah. Ini yang akan memelihara jati diri kita. Kita akan pelihara parti kita,” katanya ketika menyampaikan ucapan khas di Muktamar Pemuda PAS kali ke-60 di sini, hari ini.

Hadi berkata, PAS tegas dan tidak teragak-agak memecat mana-mana pemimpin parti yang terlibat dengan aktiviti tidak bermoral.

“Politik Islam, penekanan tarbiah amat penting dalam parti kita. Alhamdulillah disiplin kita dengan tarbiah, akhlak moral sangat tinggi.

“PAS tak teragak-agak pecat mana-mana pimpinan tidak bermoral. Bukan macam parti yang anggap moral perkara enteng, ringan, apatah lagi terlibat aktiviti begitu.

“Hanya mereka yang sanggup hadapi cabaran dari segenap penjuru yang boleh bersama dalam perjuangan ini,” katanya sambil memaklumkan perjuangan PAS berpegang kepada prinsip Islam dan tidak memisahkan politik dan Islam.

Dalam perkembangan sama, ketua Pemuda PKR Santubong, Haziq Aziz, individu di tengah-tengah kontroversi klip video seks sejenis didakwa melibatkan timbalan presiden parti itu, Mohamed Azmin Ali, dalam satu temu bual media semalam, mendakwa “hubungan intimnya” dengan menteri hal ehwal ekonomi itu bermula pada 2016 sewaktu masih belajar di Universiti Malaya.

Terdahulu, sewaktu muncul membuat pengakuan berhubung satu klip video tular memaparkan aksi hubungan sejenis 2 individu, Haziq berkata, beliau adalah seorang daripada mereka, sementara pasangannya adalah Azmin.

Azmin menafikan dakwaan itu dan membuat laporan “qazaf” terhadap Haziq serta mengancam mengambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap beliau.

Semalam, jawatankuasa disiplin PKR berkata, ia akan mengeluarkan satu surat tunjuk sebab terhadap Haziq berhubung dakwaannya itu.

KUANTAN, June 20 — PAS will not hesitate to eject any of its leaders if their morals are found lacking, its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said today.

The Marang MP who turned up unexpectedly at the party’s Youth wing congress here said other political parties may consider morality to be trivial, but not PAS which regards virtue as sacred and places great emphasis on education.

“We are unafraid of rejecting such leaders, unlike some others whose activities are based on videos,” he said in his speech to PAS Youth delegates at  the Bukit Gambang Resort.

Hadi did not name anyone in his speech, but was likely referring to political foe PKR.

The ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition’s biggest component is embroiled in a sex video scandal after a Youth leader claimed to have had several trysts with a senior party leader.

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