BN demands compensation, apology from Muhyiddin, Azmin Ali over defamation
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — Barisan Nasional (BN) has demanded for public apologies and compensation from political rivals Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali over their alleged defamatory and untrue remarks relating to Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, local daily Berita Harian reported today.
According to Berita Harian, BN had through its lawyers issued a legal letter to demand both Muhyiddin and Azmin retract their alleged defamatory remarks, to apologise and to pay compensation.
Citing the BN Communication Division’s statement, Berita Harian reported BN as saying that Muhyiddin had accused Zahid of being the purported mastermind and planner behind the prosecution of Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan, who recently resigned as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia information chief.
BN reportedly said such accusations from Bersatu president and Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin was clearly a big and hasty slander which was allegedly deliberate in order to cover up the alleged damage within PN.
Berita Harian said PN information chief Azmin had also claimed that the corruption charges against PN and Bersatu as a planned move.
“Through this series of accusations, it can clearly be seen the two main individuals in this PN are creating all sorts of excuses to hide the corrupt and bribery problems which exist in PN,” the BN communications division was quoted saying.
The BN communications division also reportedly accused such alleged finger-pointing as a usual move by PN to cover up their weaknesses and make themselves out to be victims of political prosecution, saying however that the public can see that those who have been prosecuted are from PN’s own party leadership.
It said such wild allegations cannot be allowed to prolong to be used for lying and to get away from prosecution for charges.
According to Berita Harian, the same BN statement had said Zahid had never once misused his position to have PN leaders charged, adding that his focus is to manage the country’s affairs, especially to enhance prosperity and the livelihood of rural folks.
On February 21, Wan Saiful was charged with and pleaded not guilty to two bribery charges involving his alleged soliciting of a bribe in April 2022 to help a private company obtain a contract and receiving of over RM6.9 million between July to September 2022 via his company for actually helping the private company to obtain the same project.
Wan Saiful is currently out on bail after paying the RM400,000 bail amount and was ordered to surrender his passport to the court pending his trial, and had resigned on February 22 from his post as Bersatu information chief.
