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Zakaria wants PKR to correct his ‘unlawful’ sacking, claims MACC confirmed no charges

PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar speaks at the Pahang PKR convention at Dewan Dato’ Zaharuddin Abu Kassim in Kampung Peragap, Kerdau November 8, 2019. — Bernama pic
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar speaks at the Pahang PKR convention at Dewan Dato’ Zaharuddin Abu Kassim in Kampung Peragap, Kerdau November 8, 2019. — Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Newly-sacked PKR member Zakaria Abdul Hamid has called on the political party’s top leaders Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to put right his allegedly wrongful sacking over corruption suspicions, claiming that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed he would not be charged.

Zakaria said that it was wrong for both PKR Secretary-General Saifuddin Nasution and PKR President Anwar to say that the sacking was done on MACC’s recommendation, asserting that this was “false, and calculated to grossly mislead party members and the public”.

Zakaria claimed that the fourth paragraph of MACC’s letter to PKR allegedly envisaged that the party disciplinary board would hold an enquiry into the complaint against him, alleging that this was ignored.

“In clear breach of this, I was sacked without even an enquiry. This is in breach of every known principle of decency and justice,” the former PKR central leadership committee member said in a statement yesterday, further adding he was denied the right to be heard but was instead allegedly bullied by party leaders.

Questioning if factional politics within PKR had reached such extremes that the party leadership had allegedly lost its sense of what was right and wrong, Zakaria further expressed shock over the alleged “spinning” of facts in his case, purportedly by Saifuddin Nasution.

Zakaria said he had told party members that the Housing and Local Government Ministry had small projects which they could apply for from the relevant district council, and noted that it was up to the authorities to decide whether to give out such projects.

“Let me emphasise that they were only asked to apply for it. What is wrong with that? Where is the offence? The ultimate decision whether to award any small project is up to the authority concerned. And in fact, finally, none of them was awarded any project at all.

“Thirdly, the Deputy Chief Commissioner of MACC Datuk Azam Baki has confirmed that the DPP has decided that there will be no prosecution against me,” he said, arguing that the idea that he had committed corruption was a “false perception”.

Zakaria also highlighted MACC having previously said that its letter to PKR regarding his case was wrongly issued.

“I reiterate that my sacking was unlawful and unjust, and call upon Anwar, Saifudin and the party leadership to set things right. I further call upon them to stop hiding behind the MACC and dangling its name to hide their own wrongdoing. They must instead act fairly in accordance with the principles of reformasi,” he concluded.

Malay Mail is seeking clarification from MACC on whether it had confirmed that Zakaria would not be charged.

In a brief video clip on TV3’s news programme Buletin TV3 posted November 25 on YouTube, Azam was heard saying in Malay in what appeared to be a phone conversation to the broadcaster: “Dalam kes ini telah selesai dijalankan siasatan yang mana timbalan pendakwa raya memutuskan tiada pendakwaan ke atas mereka.”

(Translation: In this case, investigations have been completed where the deputy public prosecutor decided no prosecution.)

Saifuddin Nasution was reported as having revealed yesterday details of the MACC’s investigation into Zakaria, including the alleged offer of a RM20,000 contract from the Works Ministry and urging to apply for projects under a RM300,000 allocation from the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Amid objections made by key PKR leaders including deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali which is said to be leading a rival internal faction, Anwar was yesterday reported as declining to apologise for Zakaria’s sacking.

PKR disciplinary board chairman Datuk Ahmad Kassim on November 24 announced that Zakaria and an ordinary member from Pahang, Ismail Dulhadi, have been stripped of their party membership following the MACC’s notification of corruption suspicions against them.

Ahmad had however on November 24 also said that the sacked duo could appeal to the party president.

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