Former Malaysian DPM admits to making 'an honest mistake' in using charity fund for personal use

SINGAPORE (July 3): Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, today said that he has made “an honest mistake” in using charity funds to pay credit card debts that he and his wife had accrued.

In a seven-and-a-half-hour interview with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) earlier today, Zahid said that his aide took RM800,000 ($270,600) from Yayasan Akal Budi, the welfare foundation owned by his family, instead of a cheque, to settle the credit card debts.

“It was an honest mistake. I prepared an invoice bill to the officer to prepare the payment for the credit cards.”