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Umno president Zahid to hit the road to ‘clear name’

KUALA LUMPUR — United Malays National Organisation (Umno) president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will kick off a national tour on Friday (Oct 26) to address concerns of grassroots supporters and to maintain his innocence in the barrage of corruption charges with which he has been accused.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will begin his tour in Kuala Terengganu on October 26, followed by Kedah and Perlis on November 3.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will begin his tour in Kuala Terengganu on October 26, followed by Kedah and Perlis on November 3.

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KUALA LUMPUR — United Malays National Organisation (Umno) president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will kick off a national tour on Friday (Oct 26) to address concerns of grassroots supporters and to maintain his innocence in the barrage of corruption charges with which he has been accused.

The 65-year-old former deputy prime minister will begin his tour in Kuala Terengganu on October 26, followed by Kedah and Perlis on November 3, according to a copy of his travel schedule seen by The Malaysian Insight.

The Bagan Datuk Member of Parliament (MP) is also due to visit party members in Perak and Sabah.

Zahid was charged last Friday with 45 counts of money-laundering, abuse of power and criminal breach of trust involving more than RM114 million (S$37.7 million).

Some of the charges are linked to a welfare foundation, which builds religious schools, mosques and orphanages, run by his family.

Perak Umno chairman Saarani Mohamad said the extensive tour was necessary to allay the fears of the grassroots members, who had yet to recover from the party’s crushing defeat in the May 9 general election.

“We have gone through defeat. The party has met at the division and branch levels. And then there was the Umno general assembly,” he said.

“A lot of things which need explaining have happened, including Najib (Razak’s) and Zahid’s arrests,” Mr Saarani said.

He added: “We can’t continue to let our members remain mired in doubt and disconnected. Umno must keep on moving ahead.”

Mr Saarani, who is Kota Tampan assemblyman, said Zahid would visit each of the 24 Umno Perak divisions at weekends to speak to the members and try to answer their questions on party matters.

Najib, the Umno president preceding Zahid, is also accused of corruption, money-laundering and abuse of power in relation to the scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

Najib faces 32 charges, but reports indicate the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is not yet done with the former prime minister yet.

He and ex-Treasury secretary-general Irwan Serigar Abdullah will be questioned by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday afternoon on 1MDB’s dealings with Abu Dhabi wealth fund International Petroleum Investment Company.

Umno Supreme Council member Jalaluddin Alias said Zahid’s roadshow is to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.

“The president is making the tour along with Umno’s top leadership. We will be discussing all issues, current and so on.

“We are focused on strengthening the grassroots, no matter the challenges faced by Umno,” the Jelebu MP told The Malaysian Insight.

A Sabah Umno leader, who declined to be named, said party members were not affected by Zahid’s legal troubles.

“He will clear his name. I believe members are not shaken by this. In Sabah, their support has remained the same.” THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT

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