Hisham dares Anwar to reveal APCO proof

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — The Home Minister has challenged opposition de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to reveal proof he says that linked government strategist APCO Worldwide and Israel.

Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein said Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has yet to make good on its threat to expose the connection between the public relations consultancy firm and Israel’s security agency, Shin Bet, despite constant promises to do so.

“Expose it. What is he afraid of?” Hishamuddin (picture) told reporters here today.

“They have been threatening for a long time to reveal boxes of confidential information but, to this day, nothing has been shown.”

Anwar was given the boot from Parliament for six months on Thursday for claiming that the allegedly Israeli-linked APCO was responsible for both the 1 Malaysia and 1 Israel concepts.

He has since renewed his threat to reveal evidence in his possession proving this connection while stumping in various towns and cities across the country.

Hishamuddin pointed out that the only “strange” information that has been exposed so far has instead been US diplomatic cables in which Singapore alleged that Anwar had knowingly “walked into” a “set-up job”.

“Even then he (Anwar) accused the police of conspiring with the intelligence agencies of sovereign countries like Singapore and Australia,” he said.

Hishamuddin went on to characterise the opposition’s desire and tendency to point fingers at the government for anything that goes wrong as “nonsensical”.

“The people will not accept this anymore. When the churches were torched, Umno was blamed. When the cow head was paraded, Barisan Nasional (BN) was blamed. Even when tables and chairs went flying during PKR elections, they blamed Umno and BN,” he said.

He defended Anwar’s suspension as by-the-book, and blamed PR for breaking parliamentary rules in the first place.

Hishamuddin added that he hoped the public will think rationally and not be taken in by the PKR leader’s claims.