A Keadilan leader today claimed that an Umno Youth leaders speech was edited of allegations of corruption 48 hours before it was to be read out at the partys 1997 annual general meeting.

Keadilan deputy youth chief Saifudin Nasution Ismail said the speech entitled Merperkasa Daya Tahan Menjana Reformasi was to have been made by the then Umno Youth leader Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, however, was told by a senior and prominent Umno politician and leader to re-word his speech, said Saifudin at a press conference.

The unedited version of the speech spelt out acts of corruption by several Umno leaders, he alleged, adding that this showed Zahid may have had knowledge of the irregularities.

When asked to provide copies of the edited speech, however, Saifudin refused to do so.

Saifudin, who had served as Umno Youth secretary for six years under Zahid, said he was answering the challenge of Umno Youth to Keadilan to reveal the latters alleged evidence of corruption within Umno.

Held under ISA

Zahid was a close ally of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who was sacked in 1998 as Finance Minister as well as Umno deputy president following allegations of corruption and sodomy against him.

Zahid was arrested under the Internal Security Act and only released after ten days. He is now an ordinary member of Umno Youth.

Saifudin, who is the Lunas state assemblyman, said he knew about the speech as he had helped prepare it.

However, numerous attempts to contact Zahid proved futile.