KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has defended previous remarks alleging Perikatan Nasional (PN) accepted gaming companies’ funds ahead of the 15th general election, after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it was not investigating the matter.
Speaking to reporters at the National Book Festival here, Anwar said those such as PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin were entitled to sue him for defamation if they so wished, but insisted his remarks were sound.
“Read the complete statement and then take action, but if he wants to continue, please. I don’t come out with a statement that I have no basis for,” he said.
Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said confirmed that the MACC did not formally investigate PN over the claim as the information it received was “too general”.
Muhyiddin responded by saying the coalition would consult with its lawyers to see if there were grounds for action against Anwar.
Today, the PM said that the MACC was not the only agency scrutinising the claim, in line with Azalina’s remarks yesterday that others such as the Royal Malaysia Police and the Inland Revenue Board were also empowered to investigate.
“Of course, there are many agencies, action will be taken once the investigation completes,” Anwar said when asked whether other authorities are also probing the claim that PN took money from gambling firms.
Yesterday, Azalina denied saying the MACC had stopped its investigation into the claim, after an earlier parliamentary reply on the matter was interpreted as such.
The minister clarified that her written reply said the MACC never undertook an investigation into the matter as the information it received could not be corroborated.
She also said that other enforcement agencies aside from the MACC were also empowered to initiate their own investigation into any wrongdoing.
“Malaysian laws do not have any time limit to initiate any action on criminal cases,” she added.
