KUALA LUMPUR Malaysias former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been detained by graft busters on Thursday and will be charged on Friday over alleged abuse on projects awarded under a government stimulus programme.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said in a statement that that the former premier was detained at 1 pm on Thursday after he arrived at the agency for an interview over the case.

The anti-graft agency said Tan Sri Muhyiddin will face several charges related to corruption, abuse of power and money laundering on Friday.

He will be the second Malaysian ex-premier, after Najib Razak, to be charged for corruption. Najib is serving a 12-year sentence after being found guilty on one of the charges linked to state fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

Mr Muhyiddin, 75, arrived at the MACC agencys headquarters in Putrajaya at around 11.15am on Thursday for questioning.

Speaking to reporters outside the MACC headquarters, Bersatus information chief Razali Idris said: We consider this inhumane as the party is having its elections tomorrow (Friday) and Parliament is also in session. Mr Muhyiddin leads the opposition Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia. Bersatu and Parti Islam Semalaysia are the main members of opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN).

MACC is investigating allegations that contractors chosen for the stimulus programme, known as Jana Wibawa, were required to deposit money amounting to RM300 million (S$90 million) in the accounts of Bersatu, in return for projects.

Calling them political slander, Mr Muhyiddin has denied the allegations.

The Jana Wibawa programme was launched to help bumiputera contractors during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was conceived by former finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz, who is now International Trade and Industry Minister.

On Thursday, several PN MPs skipped the Parliament session to show solidarity with Mr Muhyiddin, who is also chairman of the PN coalition.

Bersatus supreme leadership council member Azmin Ali, who was at the MACC headquarters in support of the party leader, is confident that Mr Muhyiddin is innocent.

As a supporter of the party that always insists on the principles of accountability, transparency, integrity and rejection of corruption and kleptocrats, I will continue to be with Muhyiddin, he told reporters on Thursday.

Responding to critics who claim that the probe is politically motivated, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday said the ongoing probe against Mr Muhyiddin is being carried out independently by the graft busters.

To say all cases are motivated by politics, does that mean we cant arrest (anyone)? All the big corruption cases should be dropped? he asked.

Mr Muhyiddin has also been barred from travelling outside of Malaysia, which the Bersatu president said was wrongful. He has challenged the travel ban in a judicial review application filed in the High Court.

He also filed a judicial review application on Wednesday to challenge MACCs decision to freeze his partys bank accounts. More On This Topic Ill sue those saying I am corrupt, says former Malaysian PM Muhyiddin Yassin Dont blame me for quitting as Malaysian PM; that was democracy at work, says Mahathir On March 2, the treasurer of Bersatu, Mr Mohd Salleh Bajuri, was arrested by MACC and remanded for two days in relation to a probe into the partys funds.

Mr Muhyiddin on Wednesday confirmed that the anti-graft agency had summoned him to appear at its offices on Thursday. In a Facebook post, he also denied a news report that he was arrested on Wednesday.

Mr Muhyiddin, who was the Malaysian prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, did not say why he had been summoned by the MACC.

Datuk Seri Anwar, who came to power last November, ordered a review of government projects worth billions of dollars approved by Mr Muhyiddin, including Covid-19 relief programmes, saying that they did not follow proper procedures.

Mr Muhyiddin has denied the accusations, describing them as a political vendetta.

Mr Anwars office and the MACC did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Mr Anwar and Mr Muhyiddin went head-to-head in a tightly contested election last November. More On This Topic Malaysia ex-PM Muhyiddin summoned to anti-graft agency on Thursday Malaysias anti-graft agency probes former PM Muhyiddin over $92m in political funds