Wan Saiful's 'offer from PM' actually own demands, says Zulkafperi

 Tanjong Karang MP Dr Zulkafperi Hanafi today countered Tasek Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan’s claim that the latter was given several offers to support Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Zulkafperi said the offers were Wan Saiful’s demands.

“If we observe closely, all of these offers are his demands as a condition for Tasek Gelugor to support Anwar,” said Zulkafperi during a press conference at Parliament.

The six offers were:

• RM1.7 million constituency allocation;

• RM2 million project allocation;

• payment for Wan Saiful’s wife’s chemotherapy treatment;

• legal fees for his court case;

• ”token” of unspecified limit for personal use; and

• for the court case against him to be dropped.

Wan Saiful (above) is facing 18 counts of money laundering charges involving funds totalling around RM5.59 million and two graft charges linked to the Jana Wibawa programme.

Last Friday, Zulkafperi submitted a motion to refer Wan Saiful to the Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee due to the latter’s statement in Parliament the day before.

Tanjong Karang MP Dr Zulkafperi Hanafi

Zulkafperi said the statement was deemed malicious and an attempt to mislead the house.

Wan Saiful had alleged that Zulkafperi and Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim had played roles as "agents of persuasion” to get opposition MPs to support Anwar.

‘Malicious and defamatory’

Today, Zulkafperi stated that his and Azizi's inability to help Wan Saiful or to be a better “agent” to the latter caused him to make that claim.

"So, his statement in Parliament is clearly malicious, defamatory, misleading the house and distorting the facts and accusing me without any clear evidence and witnesses while trying to trap and drag me into his malicious personal agenda,” Zulkafperi said.

He added that such an action was against Standing Orders 36(6) and 36(12) of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat.

Standing Order 36(6) states that no member can impute improper motives to any other member while 36(12) deems that any member who imputes statements that misleads the house is in contempt of the house and may be referred to the Committee of Privileges for the offence.

Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim

At the same time, Azizi stated that he had never met Wan Saiful since becoming an MP, except during Perikatan Nasional events.

He said Wan Saiful, along with a man he did not know, approached him when he was at a cafe in a hotel.

But their conversation was only about the allocation Azizi had received as an MP, which he confirmed was the same as the other MPs in the government.

It was an unplanned meeting, Azizi added.

Malaysiakini is trying to get a response from Wan Saiful.

On Feb 28, Wan Saiful claimed that he was offered a reward to support the prime minister.

Subsequently, the MACC asked him to lodge a report at its headquarters. The anti-graft agency also summoned him to have his statement recorded.

However, Wan Saiful has been evading the MACC's call, citing parliamentary immunity in the Dewan Rakyat. - Mkini