KUALA LUMPUR, March 12 — Embattled former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today announced at the annual Bersatu assembly that he will remain the party’s president even after being charged in court with multiple counts of money laundering and corruption.
Addressing hundreds of Bersatu delegates this morning, the Pagoh MP said he had offered to resign yesterday following his charging last Friday, but the party’s supreme council refused to accept it.
“Apart from the supreme council, today the representatives also approved the motion to reject my resignation.
“I will adhere to the wishes of the party in today’s meeting and as such I will continue my duties as Bersatu president,” he said and offered his thanks to them.
Muhyiddin was slapped with four counts of corruption and two counts of money laundering charges at the Sessions Court here, making him the country’s second former prime minister after Datuk Seri Najib Razak to be accused and put in the dock for allegedly soliciting bribes and embezzling public funds.
For the first four counts, Muhyiddin was charged under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act for using his office or position to get gratification from several entities amounting to over RM230 million.
If convicted, Muhyiddin faces an imprisonment term not exceeding 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the gratification received under the said offence, where such gratification is capable of being valued or is of a pecuniary nature, or RM10,000, whichever is the higher.
He was questioned at the MACC headquarters last Thursday all day, following which he said he would resign his party position.
Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said the party owed Muhyiddin for its establishment.
“Without Muhyiddin we wouldn’t have a party. He sacrificed a lot for the people especially during the pandemic.
“We as a unit should not let him go down like this, we must fight back against those trying to bring him down and as such we will not be accepting his resignation today,” said Hamzah.
