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Sunday, 15 March 2009

Management Committee To Decide On Norza's Eligibility - Abdullah

PENANG, March 14 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he is leaving it to the Umno Management Committee to determine whether Datuk Mohamad Norza Zakaria can contest in the end of the month party polls.

The Umno president was responding to a reporter's question whether the Federal Territories Umno Youth head is eligible to stand in the party election for a Supreme Council seat following his prosecution yesterday.

Norza, 43, was charged in the Temerloh Magistrate's Court with two counts of vote-buying involving RM3,400 ahead of the Umno elections. The offence was allegedly committed in Taman Bandar Temerloh on Jan 20.

If convicted, he can be jailed up to 20 years and fined not less than five times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000 whichever is higher.

Speaking to reporters after meeting leaders of the Penang Muslim League and Federation of Malaysian Indian Muslim Organisations here today, Abdullah said: "Contest eligibility will have to be decided by the Management Committee for cases relating to this matter."

He said the move to bring any party leaders to justice showed that no one was immune from prosecution. Under these circumstances, it was up to them to prove in court that they were innocent, he said.

On today's meeting, he said that among the matters discussed were job, business, training and education opportunities including for people who had been laid off.

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