Deputy Minister Promises Support Letters in Exchange for Votes in Party Polls

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Video of Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, which was leaked on social media, purportedly shows him promising to leverage on his position in the government and party to issue support letters in exchange for votes.

Former Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook today slammed Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal for allegedly abusing his powers by offering endorsement letters to gain support in the upcoming party election.

Loke shared a video of Wan Ahmad Fayshal, who is one of the candidates for the Bersatu Youth Chief in the upcoming party election scheduled on September 27, who had allegedly said that he will issue endorsement letters on his capacity as deputy minister to help Bersatu Youth members in return for their support.

“How (can I help?), I can issue support letters as a deputy minister, as the youth chief and I can make a copy to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to strengthen (the support letters).

“That is using one’s position. Positions are given to help make things easier for you. It is not for me alone. But to help you, help me too.

“Firstly, vote for me,” he appeared to say in the video.

“After we were sworn in as Ministers back in 2018, a special briefing was given to all members of the administration and Pakatan Harapan MPs by the then MACC Chief Commissioner, Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull on the procedures and “good practices” in government especially on the do’s and don’ts.

Mukhriz Hazim

“Among the things that Mohd Shukri ordered to all Ministers and Deputy Ministers of PH was to never issue a letter of support to anyone, especially to the party members themselves,” Loke wrote in his Facebook posting.

“However, it’s different now. Even Deputy Ministers have power. Endorsement letters are used as capital for the party’s election campaign. Military aircraft are used to attend party activities. All sorts of things are possible now,” he added.

The deputy youth and sports minister will face off with incumbent Bersatu Youth exco Mohd Muzzammil Ismail in the party polls next month.

The position became vacant after pro-tem Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was expelled from the party for siding with a group of party rebels led by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Wan Fayhsal was also seen in the video saying that if there were Bersatu Youth members interested in agriculture in Pahang, he could arrange the formation of a “consortium”.

Facebook

Meanwhile, PKR youth chief, Akmal Nasir, who is also Johor Baru MP said Armada Bersatu should lodge a report with the MACC over the matter.

He said the deputy sports and youth minister’s statement is worrying as he openly admitted he would use his position in exchange for political support.

“I urge Armada to lodge a formal complaint with MACC. Before this, there were revelations about lobbying for GLC (government-linked company) posts. I don’t know who’s better in issuing the support letter.

Ahmad Zamzahuri

“This is a far more critical question that politics,” he said during a press conference at the parliament lobby today.

Wan Fayhsal was also formerly a special officer to Syed Saddiq when the latter was the youth and sports minister.

Meanwhile, DAP’s Batu Kawan MP Kasthuriraani Patto said she would never do what Wan Fayhsal promised his supporters.

“I had never issued a support letter throughout my political career since becoming an MP in 2013 until today. Support letters are a BN culture which we are against as it leads to abuse of power.

Hari Anggara

“In the past, support letters are used as a shortcut to bypass legitimate procedures,” she said.