Firm linked to brother of ex-TH boss questions Wan Azizah’s denial over launch speech

Rashid Hasnon (right) with the Xiddig Cellular Communications chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahim (second from right) at the company’s event today. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A communications firm involved in a multi-billion network infrastructure project has defended itself against suggestions that it used Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s name for its internet broadband project, after the deputy prime minister denied she had spoken at the company’s event today.

Earlier today, Bernama reported that former Penang deputy chief minister Rashid Hasnon had read out Wan Azizah’s speech, which among others pledged the government’s support for the Enhanced Malaysia International Internet Gateway (EM-IIG) High-Speed Broadband, a multi-billion ringgit project undertaken by Xiddig Cellular Communications Sdn Bhd.

Hours later, Wan Azizah’s office said it had not approved the text of the speech, or assigned anyone to read it out at the event.

Xiddig chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahim, however, insisted that his company had received approval to use the speech from Wan Azizah’s political secretary.

“We received a formal letter from the deputy prime minister’s office confirming her (Wan Azizah’s) attendance at the event,” Rashid, who is also the brother of former Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, told FMT when contacted.

“But last night, we were informed that the deputy prime minister could not make it.”

FMT is awaiting confirmation from Wan Azizah’s political secretary, Romli Ishak.

Meanwhile, Rashid Hasnon blamed the company for asking him to read the speech.

He said he was taken by surprise at the request, adding that he had gone to the event in his personal capacity.

“I wanted to listen to the deputy prime minister’s speech, but the organisers asked me to represent her because she had other matters to attend to.”

He said he was not aware that the text of the speech was attributed to Wan Azizah.

“I just read it out,” he said.

Meanwhile, Xiddig’s Rashid said government leaders had been cool in their response to his company’s project despite getting support from the prime minister.

“Whether it has to do with politics, I am not sure,” he told FMT.

“I’m a bit disappointed. We invited Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo and I also presented the project to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who has given his full support,” he said. -FMT