Uncleseekers documents are original, says lawyer

A lawyer who left the country last year said the documents regarding the deed of transfer of aircraft owned by the late Sultan Iskandar to the present ruler, and also the transfer of RM60 million inheritance to Amanah Raya, are valid documents.

Lawyer Kamal Hisham Jaafar, who is embroiled in a conflict with Sultan Ibrahim Ismail following an inheritance dispute which led to bloggerUncleseekers’ arrest, claimed that he does not know how the documents appeared in the blog.

However, Kamal Hisham does not agree that the two documents had been placed under the Official Secrets Act.

“The documents have nothing to do with the government or legislature. Hence, I am puzzled over why the Johor police are classifying the arrest on Uncleseekers as being an OSA case. I can confirm the signatures on the two documents of transfer are mine. I think the Johor police did not classify it under the Sedition Act for fear of more mud coming out. 

“Two lawyers also witnessed the transfer of RM60 million funds to Amanah Raya. The two - senior counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and former Commercial Crime Investigation Department director, Ramli Yusuff, who is also practising law - had gone to Dubai to sign the documents,” he said.

Hence, he said he can vouch for the authenticity of the documents which appeared in the blog but does not know how they appeared there.

The lawyer said there are many people who have access to the documents.

Kamal Hisham also denies knowing Uncleseekers or his real name Syed Abdullah Hussein Al Atas, as well as claims that he had hired the blogger. Syed Abdullah Hussein has been remanded by the police until tomorrow.

The 42-year-old lawyer also did not want to comment about a posting on the blog which was attributed to him as it may have legal implications.

However, he stressed that he wanted to set the record straight with regard to his dealings with the present sultan of Johor.

He stated that he signed the Deed of Declaration of Gift of the aircraft was made under duress as he signed the document in his capacity as Commissioner of Oaths, and said that the agreement was invalid as it was prepared after Sultan Iskandar’s death in 2010.

“I was firm that the late sultan did not issue any orders or documents to transfer the aircraft from the late Sultan Iskandar to Sultan Ibrahim. At the time of his death, all the aircraft were registered with Sultan Iskandar,” he stated.
 
“It does not fall within the sultanate’s assets as with some of the lands which had been gazetted as sultanate land. I do not want to be involved in the deal and only agreed to witness it,” he said.

‘I want to return home’

Kamal Hisham said after being out of the country for a year he wanted to return home and spend Hari Raya with his family.

He said that he cannot return as threats had been made on him, and they come from the present royal family.

“Until this matter is resolved, I do not think I can return home although I long to come back. But I would like to see the matter being resolved,” he said.

The Johor police, he claimed, is only investigating the police reports lodged by people against him but not his police reports on the allegations.

“I hope the police are transparent in their investigations and not investigate only one side. My elderly father was held for three hours by the Johor police, and they asked where I was. My mother was also subjected to such treatment.”

“I only ask the police to be impartial in its investigations. Stop harassing my family members as they are old,” he said, adding that the present Johor police investigations seemed to be biased in favour of the Johor sultan.

The lawyer added that so far, no police personnel had taken down his statement regarding his police reports. 

Saying that he had been framed over all the allegations due to wanting to see the division of the late Sultan Iskandar’s assets done in a proper manner, he said this, however, had resulted in him becoming hunted.

He said that despite being in Dubai, he had to shift home for a third time in a year, as a result of harassment from unidentified individuals.

“I have moved out from my previous place to another place after someone whom I cannot identify went to my home and waited there for three hours,” he said.

“I want the police to investigate independently without fear or favour and not be influenced by pressure from the palace. I believe that there are still good police personnel in the force,” he said.

Meanwhile in a related development, Ramli, when contacted by Malaysiakini, verified that the documents which he signed as a witness to the transfer to Amanah Raya were genuine.

“I acted for Kamal Hisham while Shafee acted for the other party. The letter was signed in Dubai,” he said.