Isa suspended after being found guilty of money politics

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad

PETALING JAYA: Umno vice-president Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad has been suspended six years from the party after the disciplinary board found him guilty of money politics. 

The board’s decision was conveyed to Isa, who is Federal Territories Minister, in a letter sent to his office in Putrajaya around 3pm yesterday. Besides the vice-presidency, he has also lost his Teluk Kemang division chief's post. 

Isa's political secretary Mohd Salim Sharif was found guilty on three charges of misconduct and suspended from the party for three years. He also received his letter at the same time. 

Salim:Isa's political secretary whot got three years.

Salim, who has been Isa's political secretary since last year, confirmed they both received their letters from the board and that the suspensions took effect immediately. 

He said the letters were signed by board chairman Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen. 

Salim said Isa was found guilty on five of nine charges he had faced with regard to party discipline. 

The three-page letter was received by Isa's press secretary Zamri Zainol Abidin, who conveyed its contents to Isa, who was in Jemol, by telephone, Salim said, adding that he and Isa would be appealing against the decision. 

Jamaluddin ropa: Got three years.

Two others were also suspended in connection with Isa. They were Raub division chief and Pahang exco member Datuk Shahirudin Ab Moin, who was suspended for two years, and Pandan division deputy head Jamaluddin Ropa who got three years. 

Isa and Salim will now have to appeal to the Appeals Committee, headed by Datuk Zuki Kamaluddin.  

The committee will then submit a report to the supreme council, which will then make a decision on the matter.  

The next council meeting will be held on Thursday. 

Datuk Shariruddin Ab Moin:Got two years.

Efforts to contact the board members, Isa, Shahirudin and Jamaluddin for comments failed.  

Isa was reportedly charged with seven counts of vote buying, including three for allegedly bribing delegates the morning before voting began in last September’s party polls. 

He was also reported to have faced two additional charges of holding campaign meetings, which were prohibited under the party’s code of ethics.  

He is said to have been found guilty on five of the nine charges. 

Isa, who was the country’s longest-serving mentri besar until last year’s general election, won the post of vice-president with the highest number of votes – 1,507, followed by Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam (1,329) and Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (1,234). 

Party deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak declined to comment on the board’s decision when asked by reporters at an evening function. 

Earlier in the morning, board members refused to talk about their meeting. 

“It is not a secret. Our practice is not to announce anything until the final result. I will not break our practice,” said board deputy chairman Tan Sri Zaki Tun Azmi.  

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