[UPDATED] Replace Tengku Zafrul as finance minister, Zahidi tells Umno Supreme Council

KUALA LUMPUR – Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin has called on his fellow Umno Supreme Council members to remove Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz from the portfolio over issues surrounding Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB).

After leaving the Supreme Council meeting this evening, Zahidi told reporters that he had met with Tengku Zafrul recently seeking an explanation on the Finance Ministry-owned special purpose vehicle for the country’s 5G connectivity roll-out, but the minister had declined to entertain his questions.

“He seemed angry at me and did not want to listen (to my concerns). I told him I was representing the Umno Supreme Council and (the voices) of Umno Youth,” Zahidi said.

“He (Tengku Zafrul) said ‘if you want to fight, we can fight’. That is what he told me.”

Zahidi said during his speech at the meeting this evening he had asked the council to change the finance minister.

He also said the council is now seeking an explanation on DNB from the Finance Ministry.

On Tuesday, Zahidi, whose ministry is overseeing the implementation of the country’s 5G roll-out under DNB, urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to initiate an investigation into the Finance Ministry-owned special purpose vehicle.

This is after he claimed a lack of transparency involving its financial dealings, including the supposed ballooning of the cost to build the telecommunications network system.

Separately, Zahidi is also alleging that he has been kept in the dark over developments involving DNB and has been sidelined from official meetings, in a revelation that is set to draw further attention to the firm.

Zahidi accepted a memorandum from Umno Youth, represented by exco member Fairuz Jamaludin, who wants MACC to initiate a probe into DNB over issues of transparency and increasing cost of implementation.

The youth wing is also demanding that an MACC officer be placed in DNB to ensure any spending and procurement follows due process, and questioned the credibility of the company’s chief executive Ralph Marshall.

Zahidi, after the Umno meeting, said he did not understand why the finance minister chose to put up a fight as Tengku Zafrul was an appointee and not an elected parliamentarian.

“When we ask him (about DNB), he acts as though it’s money from his bank. We want to ask whether (the DNB project) costs RM30 billion, or RM11 billion,” Zahidi said.

“So I asked the council to change the finance minister.”

Asked whether Umno’s leadership had agreed to remove Tengku Zafrul, Zahidi said he leaves the decision to the Supreme Council. – The Vibes, June 24, 2022