The
immediate suspension of Tan Sri Annuar Musa as chairman of Majlis Amanah Rakyat
(Mara) and Pelaburan Mara Berhad (PMB) on Tuesday apparently came as a shock to
many in Umno.
Annuar is, after all, the
party’s information chief, an important position to which he was appointed
almost a year ago by party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
His appointment as Mara
chairman in July 2013 was also approved by Najib.
Although there were rumblings
within Mara when Annuar’s tenure was extended in August 2015, few expected
those who opposed him to move the way they did earlier this week.
Mara council member Datuk Dr.
Yusof Yacob said the unanimous decision to suspend Annuar was made at a special
meeting he had chaired on Tuesday.
The suspension is to enable
the agency’s internal auditors to look into several matters, including the
sponsorship by PMB and Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) of the Kelantan football
team, a team Annuar has been involved in for many years.
Annuar, who was in New
Zealand the day of the meeting, said he accepted the decision but signs were
there in his statement that he was unhappy with the way the decision was made.
According to him, the council
meeting was originally scheduled for February 14 and he had planned to raise
several issues.
“But it looks like the
minister (Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri
Yaacob) has given his consent for this meeting to be held earlier and without
my presence,” he wrote on his Facebook wall.
Annuar’s statement has
without doubt confirmed the suspicion of many that everything was not well
between him and Ismail Sabri.
Just last week, Ismail Sabri
cancelled out Annuar’s decision to allow the Unified Examination Certificate to
be used as an entry qualification into Mara’s UniKL.
The problem between the two
Umno leaders, however, seems to be personal, as not even Annuar’s close aides
were willing to freely tell others what it was exactly about.
“It’s almost certain now that
they are not on the best of terms, but it can’t be because Annuar is a threat
to the minister,” said an aide.
The aide claimed that the
Ketereh Member of Parliament has no plan to contest for the Umno
vice-presidency, a post Ismail Sabri is known to be keen on.
“As far as I know, Tan Sri
(Annuar) is only interested in doing his best as the party’s information chief
for the coming general election. Anyway, he knows he can’t go beyond that even
if he wants to,” he added.
Whatever the real motives of
those involved, it looks like the matter has gone beyond the point where the
two can still sit and discuss what could be done to avoid an ugly fallout.
One thing for sure, the move
against Annuar seems well coordinated.
On the day he was suspended
the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission opened investigation papers against
Annuar on allegations of misappropriation and abuse of power.
The investigation is focused
on corruption and abuse of power.
Investigations on claims of
wrongful governance by him will be conducted by Mara’s internal audit.
Umno secretary-general Datuk
Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor later told national news agency Bernama that
Annuar’s post as information chief will be decided by Najib.
“His post in Umno was
appointed by the president while his suspension is in a government agency. It
does not involve his post in Umno. It is up to the president,” Adnan was quoted
as saying.
Many within Umno are hoping
that Najib can somehow put a quick end to the issue as it has the potential to
disrupt preparations by the party and its BN allies for the next general
election.
Najib obliged, stating on
Wednesday that the suspended Mara chairman will remain as information chief for
now.
“He is willing to be
investigated by the MACC, so give him a chance to clear his name. We cannot
make assumptions…. due process must take place,” Najib said.
What that really means,
however, is that Annuar must not expect any special favours from the prime
minister and Umno president.
He is on his own, for now at
least.
– http://mole.my/
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