Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the Pulai parliamentary seat Suhaizan Kayat (centre) helping a resident with his shopping at the Jualan Rahmah programme in Taman Cempaka, Johor Baru during his campaign trail on Sept 5, 2023.
JOHOR BARU: Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the Pulai parliamentary seat Suhaizan Kayat does not want to let the High Court decision to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi affect his campaigning activities.
Suhaizan, when asked to comment on the DNAA for Ahmad Zahid’s 47 graft charges, said he wants to leave the case as it is.
“This is a court case and I do not want to touch on that.
“I leave it to the High Court,” Suhaizan said, adding that voters have not been asking him about Ahmad Zahid’s case as the people he met on his campaign trail were more concerned about infrastructure and welfare issues.
Suhaizan said this when met at the Jualan Rahmah programme in Taman Cempaka here on Tuesday (Sept 5) as part of his campaigning activities.
“God willing, it will not affect my chances,” he said of his by-election bid for the Pulai parliamentary seat, which was left vacant with the passing of its MP Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, who was also domestic trade and cost of living minister.
Suhaizan is in a three-cornered battle with Perikatan Nasional’s Zulkifli Jaafar and Independent candidate Samsudin Mohamad Fauzi for the Pulai seat.
The Deputy Prime Minister was granted a DNAA for all 47 graft charges involving Yayasan Akal Budi (YAB) funds by the High Court after Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar applied for the charges against Ahmad Zahid to be dropped at the onset of the hearing on Monday (Sept 4) morning.
The charges were first brought against him by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in connection with alleged misuse of funds regarding his charitable foundation YAB.
Justice Datuk Collin Lawrence Sequerah in his judgment said the High Court made the decision after considering both arguments by the prosecution and the defence team.
