Zahid said there were those who would continue making such insinuations.

“They will say, ‘Zahid has been saved’,” he told delegates when delivering his policy speech at the party’s general assembly.

Zahid’s remarks come a week after his Yayasan Akalbudi case, in which he was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA), was classified as requiring no further action.

The DNAA granted to Zahid in relation to 47 charges of corruption, money laundering and criminal breach of trust was to allow the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to conduct further investigations.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers later said it had found insufficient evidence to support proceeding with the charges after MACC’s probe.

Zahid, the deputy prime minister, also rebuffed claims that he had abandoned former Umno president Najib Razak who is currently serving a prison sentence for a graft conviction.

“I am accused of sidelining Najib. In fact, when we defend and stand in solidarity with him, we are mocked.

“Our support for Najib has never wavered. He actually contacted me to send his regards to the delegates,” he added.

Zahid also said the party had pleaded with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to consider reducing Najib’s sentence so that he could return to his family.

Najib is currently serving a six-year jail term for misappropriating RM42 million in funds belonging to SRC International.