IPOH, July 19 — Perak executive councillors Paul Yong accused of rape and Abdul Yunus Jamhari accused of corruption should voluntarily take a leave of absence from work until the police complete their investigations, a local group calling itself Perak Pertubuhan Rangkaian Ogranisasi98@Reformasi Malaysia said today.

The group touting government reforms said the temporary leave will help to protect the state administration’s integrity.

“We are not saying that they’re guilty, but we just want them to leave their official duties temporarily until the investigations are over,” the organisation’s secretary Sazali Shamsudin told reporters at the State Secretariat Building here.

The group, dressed all in black, were at the state government offices to hand over a memorandum of its demands to the Perak Mentri Besar’s Office, which was received by administration officer Hanita Alang Ismail.

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Perak Pertubuhan Rangkaian Ogranisasi98@Reformasi Malaysia secretary Sazali Shamsudin delivers a memorandum to administration officer Hanita Alang Ismail at the State Secretariat Building in Ipoh July 19, 2019. — Picture by Farhan Najib
Perak Pertubuhan Rangkaian Ogranisasi98@Reformasi Malaysia secretary Sazali Shamsudin delivers a memorandum to administration officer Hanita Alang Ismail at the State Secretariat Building in Ipoh July 19, 2019. — Picture by Farhan Najib

Yong is being investigated for allegedly raping his 23-year-old Indonesian maid while Yunus is under scrutiny for allegedly leaking the minutes of a state executive council meeting to solicit commission from two companies that are trying to purchase land in Kerian, Perak.

Sazali said the authorities will be seen as being freer to investigate the two excos without their presence in government.

“The exco who are linked with the allegations are currently investigated by police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. They should not hide behind their high position in the government and also behind Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu,” he added.

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The rape allegation against Yong surfaced after the Indonesian worker filed a police complaint on July 8, claiming the incident happened at his house in Meru here.

Parit Buntar PKR committee member Beh Yong filed a police report on July 13 accusing Yunus of leaking the confidential state government information.