Umno Positions As Cleaner After Bersatu Hit With More Support Letter Scandals

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Bersatu, which was hit with two support letter scandals in two weeks, has given Umno the opportunity to present itself as a "cleaner" alternative
Taking to Facebook, Umno Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki (above) reiterated his position against support letters for government affairs, which the MACC says could lead to corruption
This follows a second support letter scandal in which a Bersatu deputy minister asked Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to back his son's appointment as a Pharmaniaga Bhd board member
The Defence Ministry's Armed Forces Fund Board (LTAT), through Boustead Holdings, is the major shareholder in Pharmaniaga
Ismail, who is Umno vice-president, yesterday confirmed to Malaysiakini that he received the letter from his deputy Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz
Ismail said he eventually did not follow through with the appointment due to nepotism concerns even though he had initially scribbled his support on the letter
"Umno Youth's position is firm - the practice of issuing support letters is inappropriate and should not become a culture," Asyraf said
He also shared on Facebook an interview he had given this month, in which he had responded to an earlier support letter controversy involving newly minted Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal
"Even though there are those who say that this (issuing support letters) is an old Umno culture, but I stress that this act was long cleansed after Umno and BN were out of the government for 22 months," he had said in the interview with Malaysia Gazette on Aug 10
Asyraf was responding to a leaked video of Wan Fayhsal (above) a day earlier, where the latter promised to issue support letters to Bersatu members in exchange for votes
Wan Fayhsal made the promise while campaigning for the position of Bersatu Youth chief, which he won against rival Mohd Muzzammil Ismail
The newly elected Bersatu Youth chief maintained he had not done anything wrong. - Mkini

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