PETALING JAYA: Perikatan Nasional did not spend lavishly on flags, clothing and merchandise for the 15th General Election (GE15), says its chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"As a cost-saving measure, Bersatu printed flags and Perikatan merchandise in bulk two years earlier, which cost four times less compared to if they printed close to the general election.
"That is why Perikatan decided not to change its flag and logo used in GE15," he said in a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday (Jan 10) night.
Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, added that Perikatan did not have funds to reprint new flags and other material.
"Don't create fake news and spread lies that Bersatu has billions in funds to tarnish the image of Bersatu and Perikatan," he said.
Muhyiddin also questioned the motive behind recent "witch-hunting" against Perikatan, the latest being the remand of a Bersatu Segambut deputy division chief who is being investigated over the alleged misuse of RM92.5bil funds.
Muhyiddin also said that it was defamatory to say he had ordered someone to collect between 3% and 5% commission from the RM92.5bil, resulting in an assumption that the party had a RM4.5bil election fund for GE15.
He claimed this was Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional's tactic to counter the 62% Malay support Perikatan garnered in GE15.
Muhyiddin claimed "character assassination" against Perikatan would continue in light of the coming elections for six states, adding that he would leave it to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct fair and transparent investigations.
The MACC had arrested a man earlier this month for alleged graft through the brokering of government projects.
It is understood that the man, a Bersatu division leader, has close links to Bersatu's top leadership and was probed in relation to the alleged misappropriation of the RM92.5bil Covid-19 stimulus package funds under the Perikatan government.
The 42-year-old man is a CEO of a private company who allegedly acted as a middleman in the distribution of the economic stimulus packages from 2020 to 2022.
The suspect also allegedly took bribes to connect contractors to higher-ups.
The Star reported on Friday (Jan 6) that the man was arrested at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya after giving his statement on Thursday (Jan 5) night.
Investigation papers have been opened on at least five people believed to be masterminds or middlemen for several companies that had obtained projects ranging from RM50mil to RM500mil via direct negotiations.
The suspect has been remanded until Jan 10.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki confirmed the arrest, adding that investigations are being conducted under Section 16(a) of the MACC Act 2009, which provides imprisonment for up to 20 years and a fine of up to five times the amount of the bribe, or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
