Former PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli has called on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his former aide Shamsul Iskandar Akin to sue businessperson Albert Tei.
This is over allegations that Shamsul took money from Tei, and a video in which it was alleged that Anwar was complicit in the Sabah corruption scandal.
Speaking to Malaysiakini, Rafizi (above) said that the claims remain allegations and hearsay for now and should be cleared up in court.
"(In the Anwar case) it will be very difficult for Tei to prove his claim beyond the conjectures made in the video, unless he has recordings of meetings with the prime minister that clearly capture such an instruction.
"Beyond that, the matter can only be resolved in a court of law," he added.
Caught on camera
Tei has been on a warpath to take down politicians he gave money to for mineral exploration licenses, which he did not end up getting.
Yesterday, a hidden camera video emerged of Tei's conversation with a woman - purportedly Shamsul's proxy.
In the video, the woman claimed that Anwar had allegedly given his blessings to Shamsul to allow Tei to secretly film his conversations with Sabah politicians, discussing kickbacks in order to secure mining licences.
The video came hours after a separate exposé in which Tei claimed to have spent RM629,000 on Shamsul after being purportedly assured that he could recoup the money channelled to politicians in Sabah.
Tei also furnished Malaysiakini with WhatsApp screenshots from December 2023 in which Shamsul purportedly requested money while travelling abroad.
Shamsul announced he had resigned as Anwar's political secretary not long after Malaysiakini contacted him about Tei's allegations.
Severe blow to Anwar’s credibility
Commenting on the allegations against Shamsul, Rafizi said it would have been better if Anwar had sacked the now-former aide last week when a scandal surrounding a support letter Shamsul had signed re-emerged.
"Regardless of what takes place in a court of law - and especially if no action is taken - Tei’s exposé has dealt a severe blow to the government and to Anwar’s credibility.
"Had Anwar taken firm action by removing Shamsul when the controversy over the latter’s support letter emerged last week, the prime minister could have distanced himself from this exposé.
"At this point, I cannot think of a quick way for the prime minister to mitigate the damage to his credibility," Rafizi added.
In May last year, Shamsul had penned a support letter for six contractors who wanted to participate in a hospital project.
The letter was brought up in Parliament again last week, to which Anwar revealed he had reprimanded Shamsul.
However, Anwar dismissed calls for him to sack Shamsul, saying a reprimand was sufficient.
‘Don’t take ruler’s comment lightly’
On a separate matter, Rafizi called on Anwar to heed Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir's concerns over recent objections raised against the appointment of Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh to the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC).
The ruler had said that there needs to be a reasoned response to the objections.
"His Majesty’s public comment should not be taken lightly, and as much as Anwar may wish for this issue to fade, it strikes a chord with an important segment of society - especially within Pakatan Harapan and PKR.
"Those who care deeply about judicial independence are Harapan-PKR’s core supporters, particularly among the middle class.
“After all, members of the legal fraternity were among the earliest supporters of reformasi, precisely because of their concerns about the conduct of the authorities and the courts at that time," Rafizi said.
Anwar had appointed Terrirudin to the JAC under the quota of five executive nominees to the commission.
Terrirudin is facing unresolved allegations of purported judicial interference, stemming from an alleged leak of JAC meeting minutes in July.
Still no RCI
Rafizi had previously called for a royal commission of inquiry to be formed to look into the allegations.
"My biggest concern is that the allegations contained in the leaked JAC minutes have still not been investigated to this day.
"This creates a double jeopardy for the government.
"Not only do questions about his (Anwar's) credibility linger, but with this appointment to the JAC, it gives the impression that the prime minister is determined to proceed despite the unresolved allegations," the Pandan MP said. - Mkini
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