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By
IslamOnline.net & News Agencies
LONDON, May 15, 2009 — Seeking to clear his name from media accusations
of breaching his ministerial code over expenses, Britain's first Muslim
minister Shahid Malik resigned on Friday, May 15, till an inquiry into
the allegations completes.
"I spoke with the Prime Minister (Gordon Brown) this morning and we
agreed that the best way forward in the face of this specific allegation
was for me to step to one side as an interim measure and allow
(Standards chief) Sir Philip Mawer to look into the matter," Malik, the
justice minister, said in a statement.
"I'm pleased to have this opportunity to clear my name."
Amid rising public anger over expenses by politicians, The Daily
Telegraph alleges that Malik had claimed the maximum amount allowable -
£66,827 over three years - on his second home in London.
It says this happened while Malik obtained a discounted rent of £100 a
week on his main family home in his Dewsbury constituency, which he paid
out of his own pocket.
"I am confident that there has been no such breach," Malik said
denouncing the Telegraph's allegations as fabrications.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has already asked Sir Philip, his
official adviser on ministerial interests, to investigate the claims
against Malik.
"(I) look forward to the findings of the inquiry so that I can continue
to serve my constituents as their MP and the country as a minister with
my head held high," Malik said.
Brown's spokesman said Malik would return to office if he was cleared
and no replacement was being appointed in the meantime.
Malik was picked by Brown in June 2007 to join a diverse cabinet of
young secretaries and ministers of different backgrounds.
He was the first Muslim to be elected to the House of Commons for the
Labour
party in 2005 for the constituency of Dewsbury.
Bloodfest
Malik said he is a casualty of a politically-motivated media campaign
against MPs, calling for the media "bloodfest" to stop.
"I think it's really important that we try to draw a line behind this...
the thirst for blood from some elements of the media just seems like
it's unstoppable."
Malik warned that the endless media stories about expenses was in danger
of "decimating" democracy.
A number of the UK media outlets, mainly the Telegraph and The Daily
Mail, have published a series of what they called MPs expenses scandals,
calling for an action.
The campaign claimed its first victims on Thursday, with Labour former
minister Elliot Morley being suspended pending an investigation into his
expenses.
Tory Parliamentary aide Andrew McKay also quit his post over the
allegations.
Former cabinet minster Clare Short was also forced to apologize for what
she described "an honest mistake" for claiming too much £8,000-expenses
on her second home while in office in 2005.
The Birmingham Ladywood MP also repaid the sum in 2006 and said the
media were trying to "smear" all MPs.
Conservative MP David Davies even warned that many MPs are considering
quitting even if they have done nothing wrong, fearing they would be
seen as "a thief on the make".
"This whole thing has completely undermined the reputation generally of
every single MP," the Monmouth MP told BBC Radio Wales.
"A lot of people are saying 'What's it all about, should we get out,
have I had enough?'"
"And I think a lot of them will find the public will be helpful in
pushing them in that direction anyway."
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