Ismail Sabri Says Corrupt Individuals In UMNO Doesn't Mean The Whole Party Is Corrupt
According to the UMNO vice president, because a few individuals are involved in corruption charges, it would be wrong to label UMNO corrupt as a whole because there are three million members in the party.
By Sadho Ram — 16 Nov 2022, 04:52 PM
Caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has argued that UMNO is not a corrupt party despite the "court cluster"
According to Ismail Sabri, because a few individuals are involved in corruption charges, it would be wrong to label UMNO corrupt as a whole because there are three million members in the party.
The UMNO vice president was answering questions during his appearance in a special television broadcast titled Bual Bicara Khas Bersama Perdana Menteri - Kestabilan dan Kemakmuran last night, 15 November. One of the questions was how he deals with the public's perception of UMNO as a corrupt party.
"It is the individuals who have cases against them and the action taken is also against those individuals. It does not mean that UMNO is corrupt," Ismail Sabri said, as reported by Malaysiakini.
Ismail Sabri also claimed that UMNO has never tried to interfere in court cases, despite members of his party being involved in corruption
"For those involved in graft trials, if they are proven guilty, they have to go through the legal process by themselves without involving the party," he said while acknowledging the corruption and criminal charges against several high-ranking UMNO leaders, including its president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
According to Ismail Sabri, the investigating authorities such as the MACC or police are free to investigate anyone, and his government has always stuck to its stand of non-interference.
"We have three million members. If only three or four individuals are involved in corruption charges, you can't say the other three million are corrupt," he emphasised during the special television broadcast.
While Najib Razak, the most high-profile UMNO member at the centre of the "court cluster", is currently serving a 12-year jail sentence in Kajang Prison, Zahid is on trial for allegedly embezzling RM31 million
Back in September, the Shah Alam High Court freed the UMNO president in another case, where he was facing 40 charges of receiving bribes from a company to extend its foreign visa system (VLN) contract.
The ruling, however, is being appealed by the prosecution.
Meanwhile, Zahid has also been charged with 47 counts of criminal breach of trust involving over RM31 million belonging to a charity foundation he founded called Yayasan Akalbudi.
The case will resume on 16 January next year.
