KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 16): Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim has been appointed acting PKR Melaka chairman, replacing Shamsul Iskandar Akin who was recently charged with receiving bribes.

Adam Adli, who is also the Hang Tuah Jaya Member of Parliament, currently serves as deputy chairman of PKR Melaka.

The appointment was made by the party’s Political Bureau and took effect on Dec 15, PKR secretary-general Fuziah Salleh said in a brief statement on Tuesday (Dec 16).

Nevertheless, Fuziah said Shamsul will continue to hold his position as Hang Tuah Jaya division chief.

Shamsul, a former political secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, resigned last month after being implicated by controversial businessman Albert Tei in allegations of receiving bribes linked to the approval of mineral exploration licences in Sabah.

Following this, Shamsul was charged earlier this month with five counts of corruption involving a total of RM241,753. He pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Tei, who is already standing trial on corruption charges related to mineral exploration licences in Sabah, also claimed trial on five counts of offering bribes to Shamsul.

Prior to the allegations involving the approval of mineral exploration licences in Sabah, Shamsul was also implicated in issuing a letter of support for six contractors seeking to participate in a hospital project.

Anwar had explained that the letter was “vague” and did not constitute an instruction, stressing that the project approval process was not affected as the relevant authorities were fully aware of standard procedures.