Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim slammed Prime Minister Najib Razak for focusing on gutter politics when "other criminals, like murderers and cattle stealers... they are safe.”
The 64-year-old de-facto head of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition - rated to have a good chance of toppling the BN's 5-decade grip on power - did not specify who he meant.
However, it was clear to those following the Malaysian scene that he was talking about the notorious and still unresolved Altantuya murder in which Najib is alleged to have been involved.
As for the "cattle stealers", Umno Women's Minister Shahrizat Jalil has been feeling the heat the past few weeks. Her family has been accused of siphoning RM83 million from a national beef production project codenamed NFC, abusing power by buying a RM10 million condo and charging RM800,000 in expenses for a family trip.
“This is what they do. We have no choice but to keep fighting hard, fight them in the polls. They are nervous about facing us and so, this is the dirty, evil tactics that they use,” Anwar told reporters outside the Kepong police station on Wednesday.
Banking on 99% report to nail him
Anwar had been summoned to answer allegations that he had knowingly provided false information in the Datuk T sex video case.The police are banking on dubious analysis from the US that the man in a video filmed having sex with a prostitute was 99% Anwar to trap him into further charges, so as to tarnish his reputation ahead of snap polls widely expected to be held within the next few months.
The latest probe was opened after investigating officer DSP Shanmugan Moorthy lodged a police report claiming Anwar had committed the offence under section 182 of the Penal Code. The crime is punishable with a six-month jail term or a fine of RM2,000. The Malaysian police are under the jurisdiction of Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, who is Najib's cousin.
Hishammuddin had recently said the probe was complete and investigation papers handed over to the Attorney-General but Anwar revealed that the case was sent back to the police to include his statement.
Untrustworthy police
Anwar also slammed the police for failing to act on a previous report he had lodged against the Datuk T trio where he accused them of criminal intimidation.
The Datuk T trio consists of Umno members Shazryl Eskay, Rahim Thamby Chik and Shuaib Lazim who have confessed they publicly screened the tape in a bid to 'convince' Anwar and wife Wan Azizah to quit active politics within 7 days. Despite their intent to blackmail, the police ignored Anwar's demand that the Umno trio be prosecuted for criminal intimidation.
“What was my report? It was about political threat, criminal defamation, criminal intimidation. But now, they want to use this investigation against me because they want to identify the man in the video,” said Anwar.
