IRB raids Hamzah's house: Cheap political trick to damage PN's image

KUANTAN - "This is another attempt to tarnish the image of Perikatan Nasional (PN) using cheap political tricks," said Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah.

The Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Supreme Council member claimed that the government is using the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) as a tool to damage PN's image ahead of the state elections

Saifuddin said the raid at Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin's house yesterday is a desperate act by the government.

Hamzah is also PN's secretary general.

"I believe this is a cheap political trick by PH,DAP and BN as they want to mar PN's image ahead of the state elections.This is what's happening now," he said.

Saifuddin said this when asked to comment on the news about IRB officials raiding Hamzah's house in Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

It was reported that several documents were confiscated in the raid last night.

The Indera Mahkota MP admitted to contacting Hamzah to hear the actual story of what had transpired.

"What I know is, what is being investigated is the same as what has been investigated before

"The question is what is the intention behind the investigation and why was it reported by the media? Where did the media get the story? Whether it came from IRB or another office?.

"As far as I know, it did not came from IRB but from another office," he said.

Yesterday, the media reported that the house of the opposition leader was raided and searched by IRB officers.

Last February, the Larut MP had accused the government of using the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as a political tool after the agency had froze Bersatu's bank accounts.

He later denied to being involved in a corruption case amounting to RM15 million after his name was mentioned in the charge sheet against businessman Sim Choo Thiam.

Sim was charged last May on charges of soliciting RM15 million from a businessman Hep Kim Hong in June 2021.

It was reported that the public prosecutor said the money was an inducement for Hamzah to help Hep's company, Asia Coding Sdn Bhd, to secure a project from his ministry.

Sim was also charged with three other charges of receiving RM15 million to obtain a project from the Home Ministry.

However, he pleaded not guilty to all the four charges.

Hamzah said his name was deliberately linked to the charges to tarnish his name as a former minister in the ministry.