‘PKR influenced my dad to turn against me’

Saiful Bukhari Azlan, however, admitted that his father did not mention any PKR leaders' name.

PETALING JAYA: Anwar Ibrahim’s former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan 28, alleged that his father was influenced by certain PKR leaders to turn against him in March.

“My father told me this during a telephone conversation yesterday, right before he held the media conference,” said Saiful at a press conference today.

On March 8, Saiful’s father, Azlan Mohd Lazim dropped a bombshell by saying that Anwar was innocent of the allegation that the latter had sodomised his son in June 2008.

But yesterday, Azlan, 60, retracted the statement made in March and apologised to Saiful.

Asked to name the leaders who had influenced his father, Saiful said he did not get the information from his father.

“I don’t know who as it was a short chat but Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani MP) is the one who arranged for the press conference for my father when he turned against me,” said Saiful.

The former aide to Anwar nevertheless said that he was grateful to Allah that his father had apologised to him yesterday.

“I’m glad that my father has returned to the righteous path and I’m prepared to forgive him,” said Saiful.

On related matter, Saiful today showed a video to the press, showing that he had done a second “sumpah laknat” (religious oath) outside the Kaabah in Mecca on April 9, 2012.

He said that he did the second oath after feeling disappointed with the High Court’s decision on Jan 9 last year which acquitted Anwar of the sodomy charges.

“After I made the second oath, I felt a burden being lifted from e,” he said.

On why he decided to reveal the video at this juncture, Saiful said it was a matter of defending his honour and good name.

“Besides, many were confused after my father’s retraction yesterday. I want to reiterate that I was sodomised by Anwar.”