After being served a show-cause letter over remarks against PKR president Anwar Ibrahim at a dinner last December, vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin has now been issued with a letter of demand by party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution for alleged defamation.
When contacted, Zuraida, however, said she has yet to receive the letter of demand from Saifuddin.
"I have not received anything of this sort," the housing and local government minister told Malaysiakini.
Earlier today, Malay daily Berita Harian quoted Saifuddin, who is also domestic trade and consumer affairs minister, as saying that he had issued the letter in his personal capacity over Zuraida's allegedly defamatory remarks against him.
"(The letter of demand is because of) her speech that contained accusations and slander against me," Saifuddin (photo) reportedly said after attending his ministry's monthly gathering in Putrajaya this morning.
Zuraida was among leaders aligned to PKR deputy president Azmin Ali who spoke during a gathering on Dec 8, at the height of a perceived rift within the party, marked by a walkout from the final day of PKR's annual congress.
Since then, Anwar had made various public overtures to reconcile with Azmin, who, together with Zuraida, attended the party's political bureau meeting on Jan 9 after over a year of absence.
"I shall wait and let my lawyer handle it," Zuraida said when asked whether she was surprised by Saifuddin's purported move to sue her.
"InsyaAllah, I will submit tomorrow," she said when further quizzed on her expected response to the show-cause letter dated Jan 16.
Saifuddin previously told reporters that the PKR disciplinary board chief, Ahmad Kassim, had briefed the party's monthly central leadership council meeting on the letter issued to Zuraida, with a 14-day notice to respond.
Zuraida was absent from the Jan 18 meeting as she was in Sabah with other Pakatan Harapan leaders on polling day for the Kimanis by-election. - Mkini
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