KUALA LUMPUR – Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos, who is under investigation by Umno’s disciplinary board for alleged vote-buying, has defended his division members and denied any wrongdoing during the party’s recent polls.
The Sg Besar division chief said this to the waiting press at Umno’s headquarters here after he was questioned by the disciplinary board for two-and-a-half hours over electoral clientelism allegations purportedly committed during the recent party election.
Defending the division, Jamal said individuals under Sg Besar Umno are “good people who would never resort to corruption”.
“I am confident (the board will find me innocent) because I did not do what the accusations said I did. The election was done in a clean manner,” he said today.
“As such, I am certain that I am summoned today merely to fulfil the investigation requirement. Sg Besar Umno is made up of good people; we never get involved in corruption.”
Jamal was issued a show cause letter from Umno’s disciplinary board on April 7 following a complaint that he had supposedly paid 24 party delegates money via middlemen in exchange for votes.
In his letter of response to the board, which was shared with the media, Jamal claimed he does not know the individuals who were named as his agents or that he had issued any instruction to them to make the payments to the voters.
He also told the press today that of the 24 individuals who allegedly took money from him, 20 of them had signed statutory declarations denying the accusation.
Of that, 15 were present today to act as witnesses.
“This shows that the accusation against me was malicious,” he said, adding that this could potentially hurt Umno’s chances ahead of the state election due in a few months’ time.
Asked about the disciplinary board’s response and decision following today’s meeting, Jamal said he expects to get an answer on the matter soon.
On who he felt was responsible for lodging the report against him, Jamal said he suspects the individual is former Selangor menteri besar Mohamad Khir Toyo, who was his challenger for the Sg Besar division chief post in the recent Umno polls.
He said this is based on Khir’s previous remarks and statements, which included wild allegations that were aimed at tarnishing his name.
Following this, Jamal said he would lodge a police report and initiate civil suit against Khir over his past statements that were deemed to have shed a bad light on him.
“These will be done as soon as the disciplinary board completes its probe.”
Jamal's recent victory in the Umno election means he will serve as the party’s Sg Besar division chief for the third consecutive term. – The Vibes, April 12, 2023
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