The unanimous decision to suspend Annuar, an Umno Supreme Council member, was made at a Mara board meeting chaired by board member Dr Yusof Yacob.
Previously, Annuar was alleged to have used Pelaburan Mara Berhad (PMB) funds to sponsor the Kelantan football team, known popularly as The Red Warriors.
When contacted, Annuar confirmed the board’s decision to suspend him but said he had not been informed about the meeting.
“I will accept any decision. We carry out our duties according to a certain framework. I am open in this matter,” said Annuar, who is currently overseas.
He added he had never been called to answer the allegations but was ready to cooperate with any investigation that ensues.
Recently, Annuar had been engaged in a war of words with Johor Darul Takzim (JDT) football club owner Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, after the Johor crown prince questioned the use of “public funds” to “save” the Kelantan football team from a financial crisis.
Tunku Ismail had said Annuar needed to explain PMB and Universiti Kuala Lumpur’s (UniKL) “forced sponsorship” of the football team. UniKL, a private university is owned by Mara.
However, in response to Tunku Ismail’s allegation, Annuar denied using PMB and UniKL funds.
Earlier this month, Annuar said Mara had never sponsored the football team and that Mara’s 50th anniversary logo on The Red Warrior’s jerseys’ sleeve was given free to Mara, even though the placement of the logo was valued at RM250,000.
He added then, that UniKL, a private university had never sponsored nor given any scholarship to its students, so the issue of the use of scholarship funds or sponsorship never arose.