KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin will leave his fate in the party to its top leadership.
The former prime minister, who was slapped with six counts of corruption and abuse of power at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today said he would accept any decision made by Bersatu supreme council.
"I was elected Bersatu president by party members. Now, I will leave it to the Supreme Council to decide on my position.
"I am innocent until proven guilty," said the Perikatan Nasional chairman at a Press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex today.
Party information chief Datuk Razali Idris yesterday said Muhyiddin did not have to step down as the party president, saying that the latter was a victim of political persecution.
Muhyiddin, whose actual registered name is Mahiaddin Md Yasin, 76, pleaded not guilty to all six counts of corruption and power abuse involving RM427.5 million after the charges were read to him before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi this morning.
He was charged with two counts of receiving RM195 million funds credited into the party's account between Feb 25 and July 16, 2021; and from Feb 8 till July 8 last year.
Both charges were framed under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.
He was also charged with four counts of using his position as the prime minister and Bersatu president to ask RM200 million as a bribe at the Prime Minister's Department Complex, Federal Government Administrative Centre, Putrajaya between Feb 8 and 25, 2021.
The four charges were framed under Section 23(1) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 which carries maximum 20 years of jail time, or a fine of five times the value of the money solicited, or RM10,000, whichever higher.
He is also expected to face another corruption charge at the Shah Alam court on Monday.
On Feb 21, former Bersatu information chief Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan resigned from his position following his corruption case.
He had said that the decision to leave his position was to clear his name.
He was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with one count of accepting close to RM7 million in bribes in relation to the Jana Wibawa programme and one count of soliciting bribes for a road project worth RM232 million from Lian Tan Chuan.