Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi confessed today he flew to Saudi Arabia for his haj in a private jet but says his friend owns it.
The defence minister was responding to allegations he owned the aircraft.
Several bloggers had accused him of graft, questioning how he could afford a jet on his government income.
Ahmad Zahid (picture) is the second member of the Cabinet to come under public scrutiny in recent weeks following the Auditor-General’s report last month.
Earlier Women, Family and Community Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil came under attack for power abuse after the country’s top auditor revealed her husband and children were involved in the National Feedlot Corporation, a multimillion ringgit government cattle farming project, and messed it up.
In a text message to The Malaysian Insider today, Ahmad Zahid confessed to jetting to Mecca for the haj recently.
“Yes it’s true, but I only hitched a ride. Coincidentally he too was performing the haj,” he said.
“Is that wrong?” he shot back.
According to the claims spread through emails, Ahmad Zahid had first flown to Mecca to meet his wife Datin Seri Hamidah Khamis who had gone gone ahead to Saudi Arabia. Both of them then boarded the private jet to Jeddah.
“Who’s the owner of this private jet, if his [Ahmad Zahid’s] friend; what was the reason to use it?
“Does his friend have an interest in the defence ministry?
“If he is using his own money to rent the jet, where did he get so much?” according to the mystery email sent out.
The claims also mentioned the Umno vice-president frequently slew to Saudi during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan with his business partner known only as “Tuan Sheikh Rozi.”
The defence minister made no mention of this in his reply to The Malaysian Insider.
The Bagan Datok MP was appointed defence minister in 2009 when Datuk Seri Najib Razak replaced Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister.
Prior to that he was a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic matters.
