KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 10): Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is confident that the investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) into allegations that his administration had misappropriated billions of ringgit would be proven wrong.

“I have never taken even one sen that is not mine,” the Bersatu president said in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Jan 10), adding that his party would give full cooperation to the anti-graft body.

Muhyiddin was commenting on the MACC probe into the alleged misappropriation of RM92.5 billion in government funds meant for Covid-19 stimulus packages, by his then administration. He also addressed claims that he had instructed certain individuals to collect 3% to 5% in commission from the misappropriated funds, to be deposited into Bersatu’s account.

“[Claims of] the commission collection of 3% to 5% of the fiscal expenditure is also fictitious. How can I collect commissions from these expenses? Will the 10.6 million people who receive Bantuan Prihatin Nasional (BPN) give me a commission? Do the 2.96 million workers who receive wage subsidies pay me a commission? Of course not,” the Bersatu leader said.

Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he was leaving it to the authorities to investigate the alleged misappropriation of RM600 billion funds by the previous government during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Later, the issue of RM600 billion was not mentioned again,” said Muhyiddin. “This is because a large part of this amount is in the form of non-fiscal, which is not the expenditure of government funds. This includes bank moratoriums and EPF withdrawals that do not involve government money.

“Fiscal funds, which involve government money, amount to RM92.5 billion. Because of that, the accusations thrown at Bersatu and I are now focused on the alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to RM92.5 billion. When I was prime minister, the amount was RM83 billion but it has increased after that,” he said.

He added: “Allegedly, I have instructed certain individuals to collect 3%-5% commission from the entire fund to be deposited into Bersatu’s account. So, on this assumption they slandered that Bersatu had an election fund amounting to RM4.5 billion, which was used during GE15.

“That is why Perikatan Nasional (the coalition in which Bersatu is a member) is said to have spent heavily and lavishly during GE15 until some Barisan Nasional (BN) political leaders accused PN of buying votes to win,” he said.

Muhyiddin said that as a political party, Bersatu has funds from contributions of those who support the party’s cause.  

He said the party’s accounts are managed transparently, whereby every receipt and expenditure is recorded, audited and presented in the annual general meeting, in accordance with the requirements of the party constitution and the Societies Act 1966.

On PN’s lavish expenditure during GE15, Muhyiddin said: “As a cost-saving measure, Bersatu printed PN flags and merchandise in ‘bulk order’ two years earlier, at a cost almost four times cheaper than if they were printed close to the election date. That is why PN decided not to change the flag and logo used in GE15, despite such a proposal. This is because we have stocked earlier”.

Muhyiddin accused the current government of being worried about PN’s strength, especially with state elections set to be held in six states in Peninsular Malaysia in the next few months.

“Because of that, the PH-BN government will continue to commit character assassination against PN and me by throwing various malicious accusations that are baseless,” he claimed.