Wan Saiful offers to resign as Bersatu info chief after graft charges

KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan has offered to resign from his party post following corruption charges brought against him yesterday.

Sinar Harian said the Tasek Gelugor MP announced this today.

Yesterday, the first-time MP from Perikatan Nasional pleaded not guilty to two charges of soliciting and receiving bribes worth RM6.9 million to help a private firm to secure a central spine road government contract worth RM232 million.

The 48-year-old allegedly committed the crime of soliciting in April 2022, and the bribery sometime between July and September 2022.

Wan Saiful today said he had informed Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and party secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

He told a press conference today that he will leave it to the Bersatu supreme council to decide.

“I have asked them to replace me with someone else as information chief,” he said, adding that his resignation showed he was “different” from the “court cluster”, in reference to Umno politicians who hold positions while facing corruption charges.

Wan Saiful added that he would discuss his future with Muhyiddin, and that he still intended to help Bersatu in the coming state elections.

He reiterated that the charges were politically motivated.

Wan Saiful and Segambut Bersatu deputy chief Adam Radlan Adam Muhammad are the first two people charged for corruption in relation to the Jana Wibawa scheme introduced by Muhyiddin when he was prime minister.

Adam was charged with two counts of soliciting and bribery yesterday over a road project worth RM47.8 million, and for which he allegedly received RM500,000 as an inducement to help a private firm secure the project.

This morning, Adam was again charged with another two counts of accepting bribes amounting to RM4.1 million, also linked to the Jana Wibawa initiative.

Jana Wibawa, also known as “Program Jana Ekonomi Pemerkasaan Kontraktor Bumiputera Berwibawa”, aimed to expedite project execution by Bumiputera contractors, as part of moves to boost the country’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The scheme involved pre-qualification tenders or direct awards in accordance with Finance Ministry guidelines on direct award processes.

Currently, some RM5.7 billion worth of Jana Wibawa projects are on ice pending a review of procurement procedures and whether they are in compliance with the rules set by the Treasury. – The Vibes, February 22, 2023