KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 — Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said he was puzzled that authorities have decided to charge him over a tax exemption for tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary’s Yayasan Albukhary charity when he had only been questioned about it today.

Speaking to supporters after he was released on bail tonight, Muhyiddin insisted he was not corrupt and any donation from Syed Mokhtar, whom he described as an old friend, went directly to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s bank account and never into his.

Speaking at a PAS centre in Taman Melewar, Gombak, after leaving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) head office in Putrajaya, Muhyiddin said he was only questioned on two matters today.

“I went to the MACC office to face a few accusations. But oddly, when I came, there were two matters, one is Jana Wibawa that is already wrapped up. They had not interrogated me about the issue of tax exemption. Just now they told me, ‘you have been arrested and will be charged tomorrow.

“But only just now they interrogated me about the issue of tax exemption, this means that matter has yet to be completed. It was decided I would be charged, I was arrested. I said it is odd, not yet resolved, how can the attorney-general make such a decision? I am not disputing but asking,” he said.

He questioned why the MACC had said so when it had just finished interrogating him today, claiming that the officer he spoke to was speechless as the latter supposedly knew the actions were taken in haste.

Muhyiddin claimed that there could be orders from “above”, and suggested that this was political persecution.

“Not persecution towards me, but persecution to our party; not Parti Bersatu, but Perikatan Nasional that I lead, because they are fearful of our strength, so I say this is an inhumane action taken against me,” he claimed.

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