Believe it or not, there are "orang UMNO" looking up to Dato Hamzah Zainuddin in awe. Not so much of him getting picked as Opposition Leader despite not being Chairman of PN or PAS hold more seat than PPBM.
Perhaps they are impress that Hamzah, which at one time was viewed as not of Minister material, is now dubbed as a possible successor to Tan Sri Muhyuddin.
More accurately, Hamzah is a contender to Azmin Ali, who seemed to be the preference of Muhyiddin and Mahathir to lead PPBM and PN. No PAS, it is not Dr Samsuri.
As then Home Minister, Hamzah held the position with an iron fist to hold control over police and various enforcement agencies under his charge. The network he developed worked to his advantage as "political strategist" in his capacity as Secretary General for PPBM and PN.
Hamzah is seen as steady despite a series of investigation on him in various personal and official capacity. Hamzah's former political secretary was recently charged for receiving bribe for RM350,000 involving a police tender presumably during Hamzah's stint as Home Minister under PN government.
This is the same son charged for false documentation and illegal trading of subsidised cooking oil. The latest update is his representation to the AG was rejected.
Malay Mail Online reported:
Hamzah Zainudin’s son pleads not guilty to receiving RM100,000 gratification
By Anis Zalani
Wednesday, 05 Jun 2024 10:22 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Muhammad Faisal Hamzah, the son of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, pleaded not guilty today to charges of receiving a bribe totalling RM100,000.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Mahadi Abdul Jumaat proposed a bail of RM30,000 with one guarantor.
He also put forward additional conditions, including the surrender of Muhammad Faisal’s passport until the case concludes, Muhammad Faisal reporting to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office in Kuala Lumpur starting in July, and a prohibition on contacting prosecution witnesses.
Judge Rozina Ayob set the bail at RM25,000 with one guarantor.
Muhammad Faisal, 40, allegedly accepted a RM100,000 bribe from Izmir Abd Hamid for influencing Heitech Padu Berhad to appoint Rimba Merpati Sdn Bhd and Per My Solutions as marketing consultants.
These companies were paid a total commission of RM700,000 after Heitech Padu Berhad won a RM33 million tender from the Companies Commission of Malaysia.
The accused requested a reduction in bail, citing unstable employment as well as a commitment to travelling abroad once a month for two to three days to manage a hostel in Thailand.
The case is set for mention on July 5 this year.
On April 5 last year, Muhammad Faisal was also charged in the Sessions Court with nine counts of violating federal controlled goods regulations.
It was reported that Muhammad Faisal and Azizul Abdul Halim, both directors of Rimba Merpati Sdn Bhd, were accused of providing false information by creating fake invoices for the sale of subsidised cooking oil to a local retail company.
---------------
There have been talk since early January 2023 of alleged corruption to the tune of RM15 million by his "crony", Dato Stephen Sim Choo Thiam on his behalf as Home Minister involving one Asia Coding Centre Sdn Bhd, and Widad for a RM420 million port for APMM in Terengganu.
By February 2023, Sabahkini2 reported there was arrest made by SPRM related to the earlier revelation. It was clarified that Hep Kim Hong, the Managing Director of Asia Coding was the victim told to pay up.
Hamzah's home was raided by IRB on tax related matters in June 2023. By August, it was reported by NST that IRB had frozen bank accounts of Hamzah and his family. NST sources linked it to the RM15 million alleged corruption collected by Stephen Sim on his behalf.
This blog raised issue with Hamzah in June 2023 on a RM2.4 billion Penang cocaine bust by police in 2019 that did not made it to court.
It is widely rumoured to have link to Hong Seng Consolidated, a company notorious as funder for the Corporate Mafia stock market scam that involve insiders within the enforcement agencies and AG office.
Given time, hope the Corporate Mafia menace will eventually find its light of day in publuc domain. The victims, which can be similar in manner to the late TBH, will finally find justice.
Another Sheraton Move?
Despite all that happened, Hamzah remain relentless in his political manouvres against his old nemesis, Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Another Sheraton Move type of manovering is still being expected from Hamzah.
More so, Hamzah is more confident now that PN successfully gain into BN's political ground and seemed to have control over the Malay heartland. He believed he is close to realising Muhyiddin's vision of PPBM replacing UMNO.
This was done despite holding out from negotiating an MOU with the ruling party for allocation to constituencies thus limiting room for political manouvre.
Six parliamentarian of PPBM pledge support to Anwar in exchange for allocations. PPBM responded with an amendment to their constitution and the latest status is the six are now party-less before June Parliament seating.
Fingers are crossed awaiting Dewan Rakyat Speaker to decide and declare the six seats as vacant and a series of by-election to be held.
With Muhyiddin and Hamzah's money frozen or to qualify, dare not spend their hidden fund for fear of being detected, PN's campaign at Kuala Kubu Baru was less than lively.
There were talk of boycott on Azmin-led campaign by Hamzah group and also PAS, but money matters. Lack of fund was really the issue that even denied PAS and Gerakan the PN candidacy.
Now that Hamzah's son's cooking oil trial is advancing and new corruption cases against the same son and his former political secretary while his bank account remain frozen, pretty soon do not be surprise the next charge could find its way to Hamzah himself.
Can he continue to remain steady and make the six by-elections politically impactful?
A 6-0 win will be a morale booster for a PN rumoured to be cracking from within. That is if Spiritual Leader Hashim Jasin's remark, that PAS should be the candidate for the 6 possible by-elections, were to be taken seriously.
Money is needed to fund the by-elections. If a new high expected for crypto this week, perhaps Hamzah can still remain steady. This is presuming he had stash away some as crypto before IRB moved in.
No comments:
Post a Comment