KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 ― The current sex video scandals targeting PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali is a blast from 20 years in the past, the party’s Selangor chief Amirudin Shaari said yesterday.

Amirudin who is also Selangor Mentri Besar indicated that the spectre that has exposed factionalism within the party could be traced back to the Reformasi movement in 1998, saying that certain people did not appear to have learnt from history.

“After the 14th general election, we expected that things like this will disappear, and will not emerge anymore. However, it is rather unfortunate and rather saddening that there are people who are irresponsible and those who are full of themselves, who do not want to learn from history.

“Even if they are not afraid of God, maybe they didn't learn from history, that politics like this, with its element of shaming, with defamation and other antics, with the hope that it will affect ones dignity and hopes and the reforms for the people, would not succeed.

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“But God willing. The moment we prayed, here and in many other places, regardless in private or in Mecca and Madinah at this moment. Praying that we can be rid of this ghosts that have been haunting us for a long time -- 20 years; but which again returns to attack, it is rather unfortunate that our suspicions and expectations which we initially wanted to disregard that this started from those around us who underwent the bitter incident. Now with every passing day, every second, we can see that it was done by those who themselves had lived through the dark historical era.

“Who had fought during this dark historical moment, and even became the founder of the struggles,” Amirudin said his speech last night at his official Selangor MB’s residence.

He claimed that the same group of people who were part of the Reformasi movement are now  making “insinuations” against Azmin, with the same tactics and theme.

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Investigations are ongoing over the sex video scandal even after the inspector-general of police said analysis of the clips showed they were authentic but could not verify the identities of the two men in them.

IGP Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador added that police investigation indicated the sex videos were a political plot to tarnish Azmin’s reputation.

Azmin’s supporters organised the thanksgiving prayers here last night after the IGP’s remarks.

The economic affairs minister has consistently rejected the sex allegations by his accuser, former Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz.

A total of 11 men have been arrested for investigation into this case, including PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak.