Saifuddin claims Bersatu denied him fair trial, chance to confront Muhyiddin
Recently sacked Bersatu supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah has claimed the party’s disciplinary board allegedly snubbed his request for a fair trial.
This includes demands to summon party president Muhyiddin Yassin for testimony during a Nov 6 disciplinary board hearing.
Recently sacked Bersatu supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah has claimed the party’s disciplinary board allegedly snubbed his request for a fair trial.
This includes demands to summon party president Muhyiddin Yassin for testimony during a Nov 6 disciplinary board hearing.
Saifuddin (above) explained in a statement today that he had initially outlined three specific demands from the party’s disciplinary board after his Nov 6 hearing, to ensure that he was granted a fair trial.
However, as of Jan 6, he claimed that he has not received a response regarding his requests from last November.
“Since the prosecution against me involved charges that I had ‘suggested the resignation of the president,’ there are still several questions I want to raise before the disciplinary board.
“However, these questions can only be answered by Muhyiddin himself, as the president of the party,” he said.
In November, Bersatu’s disciplinary board summoned Saifuddin in response to various allegations, including attacking the party president, campaigning for the president’s resignation, and issuing statements tarnishing the party’s reputation, among others.
This was after he went public with his opposition to Muhyiddin in October of the same year.
In his statement today, Saifuddin emphasised that the disciplinary board should only proceed with its decision after they have examined Muhyiddin’s testimony.
He highlighted that there were still various issues and questions he intended to raise before the board, which would require Muhyiddin’s response.
“If, eventually, the president’s answers towards my questions turn out to be affirmative, then my initial suggestions that he relinquish his position as party president cannot be justified as an attack, or as an act of tarnishing the party’s image,” he stressed.
‘Conflict of interest’ in disciplinary board
Saifuddin also said he had demanded that two specific board members excuse themselves from overseeing his proceeding, due to their known impartiality being a “conflict of interest”.
These two individuals, Radzi Manan and Sasha Lyana Abdul Latif, he explained, were respectively linked to the high-ranking party members Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Azmin Ali, who are Muhyiddin’s staunch supporters.
Further, Saifuddin said he had also demanded that the board disclose the identity of the individuals who filed charges against him, to ensure that the accuser, investigator, and prosecutor in his case were three distinct entities.
However, he has since been told that the board did not have any obligations to separate these functions.
“I have stated that this is unfair, and against the principles of natural justice, and a fair trial. Because all three parties, including the investigator, the accuser, and the prosecutor, are also the same people involved in deciding my fate,” he said.
Yesterday, the party publicly announced its decision to sack the Indera Mahkota MP, alleging that he breached the party’s constitution.
Saifuddin has said he would file an appeal against the decision.
“If all three of my demands (from Nov 6) are met, then I am prepared to attend the next (disciplinary board) meeting and offer my full cooperation.
“This is because I believe that, according to the principles of natural justice, I am entitled to a fair trial and proceeding,” he said today.
In October, Saifuddin was also removed from his position as Pahang Perikatan Nasional chief for his criticism of Muhyiddin and calling for Azmin’s removal as party secretary-general.
He has also defended his criticism of Muhyiddin, arguing that the former premier had done the same when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was Umno president.
