Saturday, March 15, 2025

Puad fires at Teresa for 'playing safe' in ex-aides' bribery case








Puad fires at Teresa for 'playing safe' in ex-aides' bribery case


Published: Mar 14, 2025 12:39 PM
Updated: 3:39 PM


Summary

  • Umno leader Puad Zarkashi has lambasted Teresa Kok for not reporting her former officers after learning about their alleged involvement in corruption.

  • He says the DAP vice-chairperson was wrong for being more concerned about her political career.

  • Puad also questions why the MACC has not investigated Kok.


Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi has fired a salvo at DAP's Teresa Kok today over the controversy surrounding the MACC probe into two of her former officers.

According to Puad (above), the DAP vice-chairperson had set the wrong priorities when she was more concerned about the case's impact on her chances in the upcoming DAP central executive committee (CEC) polls.

"Kok had given the wrong answer when she claimed the MACC probe against two of her former aides would affect her chances in the upcoming CEC election.

"She should have taken a firm stance by saying that she would rather lose and face a bleak political career because she would not compromise on the MACC investigation.

"Now the rakyat can see the reason why Kok did not report her former officers to MACC. She was playing safe. Her political position is more important," he said in a statement on Facebook.

Seputeh MP Teresa Kok

Puad was referring to the recent arrests of two of Kok’s former staff who had previously managed finances and constituency funds at her service centre before resigning last year.

Why Kok not included?

The DAP leader had distanced herself from the arrests, saying that she had no part in the MACC action against her former officers, including one who is a candidate in the upcoming DAP party election.

She also expressed concern about how the arrests would affect DAP delegates' decisions, especially among those who know them personally.

Adding further, Puad questioned why the authorities had not included Kok in their investigation.

"Usually, when (a politician's) officers get investigated, their boss would also come under scrutiny.

"Why has she been exempted from this?" asked the Johor state legislative assembly speaker.

On March 7, MACC confirmed the arrest of two individuals, including an MP’s aide, as part of an investigation into corruption involving the supply of interactive smart boards to schools.

The case is being investigated under Section 16 of the MACC Act 2009.



The report also claimed that both men, in their 30s, had solicited and received approximately RM500,000 in bribes in exchange for approving RM1.5 million in public funds under the “Projek Mesra Rakyat” initiative for the supply of interactive smart boards.

Both were arrested while giving statements at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya on March 5 before being remanded for four days.


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