AHMAD Zahid Hamidi remains “upbeat and positive” despite being slapped with fresh charges for allegedly accepting RM55 million in bribes, said one of his lawyers today.

Kitson Foong said the defence is confident of getting the Umno president acquitted of the 40 criminal charges.

“We fully believe that the rule of law and the criminal justice system in Malaysia will allow our client to vindicate himself fully.

“Under the circumstances, if anybody was facing 87 charges, he would be quite stressed out. I must say, he (Zahid) is upbeat and positive. I would like to think that we are not anywhere near being convicted. We are in preparatory mode.

“Zahid has always been a very strong character, and I think we are seeing that. He is standing strong.

“We will make available the best defence to him,” he told reporters after Zahid posted bail of RM500,000.

The former deputy prime minister was this morning slapped with 33 graft charges at the Shah Alam Sessions Court. It follows seven similar charges filed by prosecutors at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court yesterday.

Foong said he expects a joint trial for the 33 charges today and the seven yesterday, as they are all related to Ultra Kinrara, a company that operated the foreign visa system.

“The Ultra Kinrara case will involve many documents and many witnesses. Some documents, which must be provided under Section 51A (of the Evidence Act), must, in fact, be declassified.”

Before the latest 40 charges, Zahid already faced 47 counts of criminal breach of trust, money-laundering and receiving gratification.

He is accused of graft offences when extending Ultra Kinrara’s contract to manage a one-stop centre in China and the VLN, or overseas passport programme.

Prosecutors said he committed the offences in his capacity as home minister between 2014 and 2017.

Foong said the defence is not seeking to jointly try all of Zahid’s 87 charges.

“I think 47 plus 40 in front of one judge, ‘peninglah dia’ (will give him a headache). I think we should keep this one (Ultra Kinrara case) separate, simply because the poor judge would not be able to appreciate all the evidence.”

He said the 40 charges listed only predicate or primary offences that allegedly caused unlawful activities, and did not involve the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

“There were no charges involving bank account numbers.”

Zahid, who has been on leave from his Umno duties since last December, did not speak to the media today.

Foong said there will be no press conferences called, and “no online posts” either.

“Whatever he has to say, he will say it in court.” – June 27, 2019.