The Cabinet was unaware of the letter Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi sent to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) vouching for a Malaysian gambling kingpin charged with illegal betting in the US, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today in a report by Malaysiakini.
The deputy prime minister told a press conference the matter was not discussed in the Cabinet before Zahid sent the letter declaring that Paul Phua Wei Seng was not a member of the Hong Kong 14K triad. Additionally, Zahid also told the FBI that Phua had helped Putrajaya in national security projects.
"We did not discuss in the Cabinet," Muhyiddin was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.
He added that he was unaware of the conflicting comments on the case made by Umno lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, whom Phua's lawyers in the US had contacted, and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
"I am not aware of the differing versions," Muhyiddin was quoted as saying.
On January 3, Shafee told a press conference that Zahid had written the letter at the request of his legal firm, to "correct" a 2008 report by the police that Phua was a member of the triad.
"The 2008 report is wrong, there is no 14K triad in Malaysia, not even during the era of Ghee Hin and Hai San," Shafee had said.
But Khalid appeared to defend the police findings, and told Malaysiakini that "there are Malaysians abroad who are known to be members of the triad".
- TMI
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