DPM: Umno man’s drug arrest regrettable

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. -Bernamapic

KUALA KRAI: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has expressed regret over the arrest of an Umno division chief who allegedly tested positive for drugs during a raid on a karaoke centre.

He said it was something that should not have happened, and he would talk to party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak about any action to be taken against the suspect.

“We will bring it up during a meeting with the Prime Minister on the possible action that can be taken based on the party constitution and laws," he told reporters after attending a meet-and-greet programme with the people here yesterday.

Dr Ahmad Zahid said the incident would affect the coalition’s performance as a whole in the consti­tuency even though it has been allocated to the MCA.

“I believe that it will have an impact on us but we will make every effort to minimise it so it will not reduce the trust of the people towards the whole organisation in that area,” he said.

It was reported that the suspect was detained at a karaoke joint in Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, at around 2am on Monday in a joint operation by police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

They were investigating an anony­mous tip that the outlet was running without a licence.

Sources said a urine test was conducted on the suspect and it came back positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine.

The division chief was brought to the Dang Wangi police headquarters.

He was later released on bail.

In Kuala Lumpur, several Umno grassroots leaders demanded the division leader be sacked from the party.

The group had handed a memorandum on the matter at the Umno headquarters in Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.

Taman Cempaka Umno branch information chief Syed Rosli Syed Rosli Syed Harman said:“He is not just anyone. He is a division leader.What can we say? As Umno members at the grassroots working hard to ensure the party wins, but there are leaders who are destroying the party.”

Tasik Jaya Bandar Umno branch chief Major (R) Razali Zakaria said all candidates for the coming election had to screened for corruption, drugs and gangsterism.