Mara rubbishes Annuar Musa's suspension claim

PETALING JAYA: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has rubbished Tan Sri Annuar Musa's claim that he was suspended as the group's chairman over his support for the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).
Mara interim chairman Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob stressed that the decision to suspend Annuar was merely to allow investigation to be carried out over allegations of sponsorship of the Kelantan football team.
“Annuar had been informed previously not to issue any statements until investigation by the Mara internal audit committee is completed.
“Also, his involvement or support towards UEC had nothing to do with Mara Council’s decision to suspend him.
“The reason in doing so is clearly following the issue of sponsorship of The Red Warrior. I hope all quarters, including Annuar, understand this and not manipulate the issue,” he said in a statement today.
Yusof also clarified that Annuar was not dismissed, and that the suspension was a normal process to provide public confidence in Mara’s corporate governance.
Annuar had previously, as quoted by Sin Chew Daily, said his support for UEC, the standardised test for Chinese independent high school students, was the main reason behind his suspension, and that he was made a sacrificial pawn in internal party politics.
He said there were those in the party who were uncomfortable with his support for the recognition of the UEC and that he was threatened in a WhatsApp group that he would be probed ten days prior to his suspension.
Annuar was suspended on Jan 31 after documents of sponsorship by Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) and Pelaburan Mara Bhd (PMB) for the Kelantan football team was exposed by Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.