KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today said he did not submit names of parliamentarians supporting him to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong during an audience on Tuesday.
"Please don't put words into my mouth, I never said (I presented names to the King).
"In my statement, if you can recall, I said I have presented letters and documents, I have never said names being presented," said the Pakatan Harapan chairman who is also the PKR president.
Anwar was speaking to reporters outside Bukit Aman, where earlier he had his statement recorded following police reports alleging him of creating public distress due to claims of being able to form a new government.
He also commented on the palace's statement which said no names were submitted as proof of support.
"As the PKR president, 38 members of parliaments representing the party have affirmed their support for me. I did not (have to) list down (their names)," he told reporters outside Bukit Aman today.
The PKR president was granted an audience with Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah on Oct 13.
At a press conference later, Anwar claimed to have presented documents comprised statutory declarations and affirmation letter of political party heads.
He said to have received the support of about 120 MPs.
The palace, however, issued a statement saying no names were submitted by Anwar.
Anwar had arrived at the police headquarters at 3pm, accompanied by his counsel Ramkarpal Singh. The recording session ended at 4.58pm.
When asked if the involvement of police was politically motivated, he said: "This is malicious and political harassment.
"From my understanding, there is a political instruction to the police because the questions raised and the issues brought up purely on the issue of MPs, who they are, what are their names.
"That's completely not the business for others to know because it is my task as a member of parliament to present this to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong," Anwar said.
He, however, praised the police's professionalism in handling the matter.
"There have been apparently six cases investigated at this stage. Police have been very cordial proper, very respectful and I thanked them for that. I suspect that they were anticipating change. They were exceptionally polite and cordial.
"What is disconcerting and mind-boggling is why the focus on 121 names of the member of parliaments?
"I said I would of course cooperate but this is an issue that has been presented by the president of each party that would prove evidently that we have more than 120 MPs.
"But I am not here to cooperate with the political masters to give names, because that's not their business... is between me and His Highness, the Agong," he said.
Ramkarpal said the investigations were conducted under 505(b) of the Penal Code with the intent to cause fear and alarm to the public, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the sharing of offensive or menacing content.
"Police were professional during the session. But is very strange that these reports, all of six of them, are so quickly investigated, all at one go. We are wondering why these (cases) are rushed." - NST
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