Azmin should go on leave pending sex video probe, say Reformasi veterans

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — A group of known PKR loyalists calling itself Otai Reformis 1998 today urged the government to place Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali on indefinite leave pending investigation into a video purportedly of him in a sex tryst with another man.

Otai Reformis chairman Dr Idris Ahmad said the garden leave would allow the Pakatan Harapan government's integrity to be intact while investigations are ongoing.

“He should be given leave from official duties to allow the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to fully probe the video which implicate him.

“It will also preserve the good name of Pakatan Harapan in Putrajaya,” Dr Idris told a press conference at Restoran Amjal in Lembah Pantai here.

The Ijok assemblyman also questioned Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s seeming defence of Azmin.

“His reaction was very different in 1998, when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was fired and punished before investigations commenced.

“We hope Dr Mahathir will not practise double standards and be biased in his judgment when commenting on the video,” Dr Idris said.

Dr Mahathir had said that with today’s technology, the video could have been easily doctored.

“Mahathir says the video is doctored using sophisticated technology, but we doubt he is qualified to talk about video technology.

“Meanwhile, the person in the video has confessed to his involvement in the sex acts,” Dr Idris added.

Anwar, who was then deputy prime minister, was sacked from government and charged with sodomy and corruption, and later sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment after being found guilty, though the court overturned the conviction in 2004.

Dr Idris also expressed disappointment that gutter politics was back.

Azmin is currently in the spotlight after explicit videos showing a purported lookalike having sex with another man went viral.

He has strongly denied being involved in the sex video, calling it a nefarious plot to assassinate his reputation and character in an attempt to destroy his political career.