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AGlance-Malaysia-corruption
Minister resigns over graft deal
JP/11/J01

Minister resigns over graft deal

MALAYSIA: A Malaysian minister has resigned after being charged
with an illegal share deal, falling victim to a major anti-
corruption drive launched by new Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi.

Kasitah Gaddam, the land and cooperative development minister,
handed in his resignation on Tuesday just before Abdullah left on
an official visit to Iran. Abdullah announced it to journalists
traveling with him.

Abdullah told journalists that Kasitah, who is free on 1
million ringgit (US$262,000) bail, left office to concentrate on
fighting the charges the charges against him. He has pleaded
innocent.

Kasitah was charged last Thursday with two counts of
corruption involving the sale of shares valued at up to 40
million ringgit (US$10.5 million) in a plantation company held by
the Sabah Land Development Board, which he chairs.

Kasitah is the highest-ranking official to fall under the
anti-corruption drive that Abdullah launched after taking office
Oct. 31 from the long-serving Mahathir Mohamad, who was
frequently accused of allowing cronyism to flourish during his
22-year rule.

Abdullah pledged on Wednesday that he was committed to rooting
out corruption and not merely implementing a gimmick to win
support ahead of general elections, widely expected to be called
in the next few months.

"I am as committed as ever to root out corruption, because it
is a cancer that destroys society," Abdullah was quoted by the
Malaysian news agency, Bernama, as telling Iranian media. --AP