KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her three children Nurul Izzah Anwar, Nurul Nuha Anwar and Muhamad Ihsan Anwar today issued a lawyer’s letter to an Umno division leader, demanding that he apologise and retract his remarks suggesting the possibility of millions or billions of ringgit in their accounts.
The letter, penned by lawyer Latheefa Koya together with the wife and offspring of jailed PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, also gave Kepong Umno chief Datuk Rizuan Abd Hamid 48 hours to respond, failing which, legal action will be taken against him.
In the letter, Latheefa cited a report today on Astro Awani’s website, where Rizuan was quotedin Malay as saying: “Pembangkang pakai duit ratusan juta, berbilion. Tiada siapa pun yang mempersoalkan. Tengok sahaja dalam akaun Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, akaun Nurul Izzah, akaun Nurul Nuha, akaun Mohd Ihsan, berapa juta bilion yang ada dalam akaun itu? Kenapa tidak dipersoalkan?”
[Translation: The opposition uses hundreds of millions (of ringgit), billions. But no one questions this. Just look into the accounts of Dr Wan Azizah, Nurul Izzah’s account, Nurul Nuha’s account, Mohd Ihsan’s account, how many billions are in these accounts? Why isn’t this questioned?]
“The above allegations are completely false, malicious and defamatory of our clients,” Latheefa wrote in the letter bearing the letterhead of law firm Daim & Gamany Advocates & Solicitors.
“Further in the case of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Nurul Izzah Anwar, both of whom are Members of Parliament and leaders of Parti Keadilan Rakyat, these allegations are calculated to injure their credit and reputation as public figures and bring them into public scandal, odium and contempt,” she added.
The lawyer then demanded that Rizuan issue a full withdrawal of his reported remarks as well as an apology to be published in a national daily newspaper, subject to the approval of her clients.
She also demanded that Rizuan give her clients an undertaking to not further utter or cause to publish similar allegations, as well as a payment of a sum acceptable as damages for the damage caused by his remarks.
