KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 5 — Businessman Albert Tei has denied that his recent meeting with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had any political agenda, saying he had approached the latter purely for advice over the corruption case he is facing.
According to Berita Harian, Tei, whose full name is Tei Jiann Cheing, 37, said the photo of the meeting that circulated widely on social media had prompted “groundless speculation”, despite it being his first encounter with Dr Mahathir.
“The photo that went viral was actually the first day in my life that I met him. I was shocked to see all kinds of theories online suggesting I have political ties with Dr Mahathir,” he told reporters outside the Shah Alam Courts Complex today.
“Some even said I’m supposedly ‘Tun M’s man’, that there is a conspiracy and all sorts of things. I ask that people stop slandering him and myself.”
Earlier, Tei was charged in the Sessions Court with offering a bribe to former senior political secretary to the prime minister, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, allegedly to help a company linked to him secure approval for a mineral exploration licence in Sabah. He pleaded not guilty.
Tei said that during his meeting with Dr Mahathir at the Perdana Leadership Foundation last week, he had briefed the former leader on his legal situation, including safety threats he said he once received after revealing alleged misconduct involving certain individuals.
He said Dr Mahathir listened throughout the hour-long meeting and offered guidance based on his experience.
“He did not ask a single question about politics. He only advised me to take the appropriate steps. That’s all.
“There was no political link, no suggestion that I meet anyone, no agenda,” he said.
When asked by the national daily why he approached Dr Mahathir in particular, Tei said a friend had advised him that the former prime minister, given his experience, might offer useful perspective.
