Zahid's Daughter Slams 'Silent' Reformasi Figures Who Were Arrested Along With Him In 1998
She claims Reformasi "champions" are now silent on her father's arrest.
By Jia Vern Tham — 19 Oct 2018, 12:18 PM
Datuk Nurul Hidayah Ahmad Zahid, daughter of UMNO president Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is "disappointed" in tight-lipped Reformasi figures who were arrested along with her father in 1998
"I am not sad but infuriated and filled with hate. I have been keeping this feeling since 1998," Hidayah said to a crowd of 200 in front of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters yesterday, 18 October.
She added that her father has been locked up by the "same man" from 1998, namely Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
"Where are the Reformasi champions like Hishammuddin Rais? Where is (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim who has been defending Reformasi?" questioned Hidayah, according to Malaysiakini.
"Couldn't Anwar and Nurul Izzah see what has been happening (to my father)?" she added emotionally.
Zahid was detained yesterday on allegations of money laundering, abuse of power, and criminal breach of trust
According to New Straits Times, he had spent the night in MACC's lockup yesterday after declining to be bailed out.
Malaysiakini reported that Zahid was slapped with 45 charges earlier today at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex:
- 27 money laundering charges,
- 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, and
- Eight counts of abuse of power.
The UMNO president was once arrested in 1998 along with Anwar and 15 others under the Internal Security Act (ISA)
According to an Amnesty International report, Zahid was among the 17 men held without charge under the ISA in 1998.
Utusan Online reported that they were detained under the now-defunct ISA for threatening national security.