DAP rep says will help cops on PM’s son-in-law’s contract allegation

Raub MP Mohd Ariff Sabri said he is ready to cooperate with the police over a police report made by the lawyers of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's son-in-law Daniyar Kesikbayev.

"The lawyers have asked the police to investigate the source of my information and to provide proof of the claims.

"I will cooperate with the police and when summoned, will provide whatever information I have, which, in my memory and assumption, is true," Mohd Ariff said in a press statement today.

Previously, Kesikbayev had threatened to sue Mohd Ariff over his claims that the Kazakh will be a beneficiary of a development project for the Malaysian government.

The claim was made in an article published on Mohd Ariff's blog Sakmongol under the titled ‘Faulty rewards system and changeable governments’.

It was reproduced by Malaysia Chronicle under the title ‘Son-in-law Daniyar to be Najib's new 'Jho Low': Disquiet over contract to renovate gov'ts office in New York’.

In a press statement, released through law firm Messrs Noorhajran Mohd Noor, Daniyar demanded for the article to be taken down and an apology issued within 48 hours.

However, Mohd Ariff said the article in question was not his, and that he is not associated with the portal which published it.

“So I am not responsible for the author of the article or the news portal that made it. I have no control over the news portal so I cannot remove it. His lawyers must ask that portal to remove it," he said.

Yesterday, Mohd Ariff denied comparing Daniyar with businessman Jho Low on his blog post, saying the portal had restructured his original article with their slant.

He also said that if the article mentioned in the demand letter is his own, he is prepared to look at the offending passages and if necessary, will remove them and tender the required apologies.

Mohd Ariff also said he has not received any letter of demand and so, cannot respond without it.

"I am only responsible for my own article on my own blog. I am not responsible for the changes made to my article when published by a third party, even if said third party referenced my website as their source.

"As soon as the changes were made, my responsibility to that version of article expired. That is my stand," Mohd Ariff said.

If there are any further issues to be brought to court, he said his lawyers will handle it from there. -Mkini