Retract claims in 7 days, issue apology, Farhash tells Isham

 

Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak is also seeking unspecified damages from Isham Jalil.

PETALING JAYA: Businessman Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak is giving a former Umno leader seven days to retract claims the latter made on social media after he emerged as a substantial shareholder of a government contractor.

Farhash is also demanding Isham Jalil  issue a public apology over the claims, which he deemed to be defamatory.

“The (TikTok) video must be deleted and removed immediately,” Farhash said in a statement.

Farhash is also seeking damages although he did not state the sum.

He said a letter of demand had been sent to the former Umno information chief this evening.

Farhash claimed Isham had uploaded a video on TikTok titled “Kroni Anwar beli saham syarikat disenarai pendek kontrak imigresen RM1 bilion?” (Anwar’s crony buys shares in a company shortlisted for a RM1 billion immigration contract?).

Farhash also claimed that the video contained numerous defamatory statements that were directed at him after he had obtained a stake in HeiTech Padu, via Rosetta Partners Sdn Bhd.

Last week, Farhash emerged as HeiTech Padu’s substantial shareholder after acquiring an indirect interest of 15.9% (16.1 million shares) in the technology services provider.

In a Bursa filing last Thursday, HeiTech Padu announced it had secured a contract extension worth RM13.1 million for the provision of maintenance services to the Malaysian Immigration System (MyIMMs).

The letter of demand sent to Isham comes two days after Farhash, a former aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, dismissed concerns of “crony capitalism” after he emerged as the substantial shareholder in HeiTech Padu.

Farhash also defended his stake in HeiTech Padu saying it was part of an investment strategy in Bumiputera tech companies.

Yesterday, Farhash said he was no longer actively involved in politics or in the current administration after a PAS MP took a swipe at him over his stake in HeiTech Padu.

He added that he was “fully focused in the business and corporate world”. - FMT