KUALA LUMPUR: Former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was summoned to appear at the country’s anti-graft agency on Thursday (Mar 9), following allegations of abuse in stimulus programmes launched under his premiership.
In a Facebook post, Mr Muhyiddin also denied a news report that he was arrested on a golf course on Wednesday.
The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president did not say why he was called in by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
He was Malaysia’s 8th prime minister from March 2020 to August 2021.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who came to power in November, last year ordered a review of government projects worth billions of dollars approved by Mr Muhyiddin, including COVID-19 relief programmes, alleging they did not follow proper procedures.
Mr Muhyiddin has denied the accusations, describing them as political vendetta.
Anwar’s office and the MACC did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Anwar and Mr Muhyiddin went head-to-head in a tightly contested election in November that resulted in a hung parliament as neither candidate won a parliamentary majority.
Malaysia’s constitutional monarch, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, then appointed Anwar as prime minister after he formed a coalition with other political parties.
Since the election, Mr Muhyiddin and his party have been subject to graft investigations.
Two leaders belonging to Mr Muhyiddin’s party have been charged by the MACC with bribery over an economic recovery project launched by his government.
He was reportedly questioned by the MACC last month over a contract awarded to a relative when he was prime minister, which was said to be worth over a billion ringgit (US$221 million).
Then, he “vehemently” denied the accusation in a Facebook post, calling it an “evil slander”.
The MACC has also frozen bank accounts belonging to Mr Muhyiddin’s party.
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