Umno veteran lodges corruption report against top party leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 — Veteran Selangor Umno leader Datuk Mazlan Harun today lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency against Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak for alleged abuse of power.

"The report is based on a letter," he said, referring to the letter written by Petaling Jaya Selatan Umno division head Kapt (R) Datuk Zahar Hashim which accused Abdullah and Najib of "political corruption of the highest order".

In the letter addressed to the Umno secretary-general, Zahar said the two top leaders had been campaigning to defend their positions despite asking others not to do the same. He also wrote that the top two leaders' actions were in violation of the guidelines issued by the party headquarters.

Mazlan (in blue) entering the ACA office to make the report. With him is Umno veteran Datuk Kadar Shah Sulaiman. — Picture by Choo Choy May

"This is to ensure that nobody will abuse their position and government machinery during the Umno elections. It is up to the ACA whether to take any action," said Mazlan.

"It is not only Umno members who want a fair election but also Malaysians and especially the Malay community want the same thing," he told reporters.

Mazlan, however, refused to say whether Abdullah's and Najib's names were mentioned in the report. "I can only say that my report is against the powers that be. Who are the most powerful people in this country?" he said.

He was also reluctant to reveal whether he was in possession of any evidence of corrupt practices in Umno. "It is up to ACA," he added.

There had been talk earlier that Umno members would gather at Dataran Merdeka this morning before walking to the Kuala Lumpur ACA branch office which is located nearby. But there were more journalists than party members present this morning.

Mazlan, the son of the late Datuk Harun Idris who was a former Menteri Besar of Selangor, denied he had called for such a gathering. He spent about 45 minutes at the ACA office.

-TMI