KOTA KINABALU, Sept 5 — Widely rumoured to be sickly, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said he is doing well and in the pink of health two days after he was ordered to enter his defence in an ongoing graft trial.
The Sabah Umno chairman posted photos of himself on his social media accounts to debunk the rumours and blamed political foes for spreading old photos to influence public perception about his trial and ahead of the 15th general election.
“To all my friends, and also my political enemies, not to worry. I am in a calm state, and still healthy under God’s protection,” he said in a statement late last night.
“Here is a current photo of me. There are old photos being spread of me by irresponsible parties, while I was ill, and saying I’m very sick now,” the 64-year-old said.
He hoped that those who were trying to bring him down would return to the right path.
Bung and his wife, Zizie Izette Samad, were ordered by the court to enter their defence on charges of corruption and abetment over a RM150 million Felcra investment.
Bung’s press secretary Jaafar Abdul Wahid said he had been inundated with phone calls and WhatsApp messages asking about his boss’ condition after photos showing the deputy chief minister lying in bed and being visited by Umno secretary general Datuk Ahmad Maslan and Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Jafry Arifin.
Jaafar said that the photos were from late 2015 and early 2016 after Bung underwent a kidney transplant in China.
“The photos were intentionally spread to cause harm to Bung’s reputation and his political career,” he said.
The Kinabatangan MP was charged with two counts of receiving bribes amounting to RM2.2 million and RM262,500 as gratification to obtain Felcra’s approval to make a RM150 million investment in Public Mutual unit trust in 2015.
Zizie, 44, faces three charges of abetting her husband in the matter at the same place, date and time. Their defence is set to be heard on September 23.
It also comes following the appeal rejection of former prime minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, sending him to jail, and the conviction of his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor for receiving bribes.
