MUHAMMAD Zahid Md Arip, the political secretary to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has refused to comment on being named in bribery charges against former Felda chairman Mohd Isa Samad.

“I have no comment as this issue is now in court,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Zahid admitted that he had been investigated together with Isa over the above-market price purchase of a hotel in Kuching in 2014 by Felda Investment Corporation (FIC), of which Isa was also chairman then.

Zahid was formerly special officer to Isa at Felda.

“Since being called by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in August last year, I do not know of any further development. That was the last time (I was investigated),” said Zahid, who was appointed Dr Mahathir’s political secretary on May 30 after the 14th general election.

Zahid was arrested and remanded for eight days in August last year as part of investigations into FIC’s purchase of the Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching.

Zahid is named as the intermediary in the nine charge sheets accusing Isa of receiving bribes totalling RM3.09 million.

The cash was given to Isa on nine occasions from July 2014 to December 2015 by one Ikhwan Zaidel, a director on the board of Gegasan Abadi Properties Sdn Bhd, through Zahid.

Zahid is now a Bersatu member and sits on the party’s supreme council.

He joined the Reformasi movement in 1998 and then PKR but later turned against the party’s then de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, through Kelab Tolak Individu Bernama Anwar Ibrahim.

In the 14th general election, Zahid ran on a PKR ticket against former prime minister Najib Razak in Pekan. He came in third in the four-cornered fight, which saw Najib retaining the parliamentary seat. – December 14, 2018.