PETALING JAYA, 6 Mar: The People’s Justice Party (PKR -Parti Keadilan Rakyat) disclosed transaction documents involving payment to a public relations consultant from the United States of America (USA) to attack Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
PKR Communications Director, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that this exposure is following confession from the former speechwriter of the President of the United States, Joshua Trevino, last week.
Joshua files record to the US Government that he was paid by the Malaysian Government through APCO Worldwide in a campaign to promote the administration of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and to attack Anwar.
The record revealed that Trevino was paid US$389,724.70 (RM1,209,511.82) by the Malaysian government, the Umno-BN ruling party or those of related interests.
According to him, Najib should explain how much taxpayers’ money has his administration paid PR [public relations] consultants, particularly overseas, to write anti-Pakatan Rakyat and Anwar Ibrahim pieces?
“Other than APCO in the US and FBC in the UK, where else has the BN paid PR consultants to damage the opposition’s image?
“What materials have been given to these consultants in related materials on Anwar Ibrahim, seeing that most work done is to attack alone?” He asked at a press conference at the PKR headquarters.
Additionally, Nik Nazmi also raised questions as to whether the government realises that the consultant they appointed was well-known for views that are extreme, anti-Islam, anti-Muslim Brotherhood and is a hardcore Israeli supporter.
In August last year, Trevino was forced to resign as a newspaper columnist in UK, The Guardian, because he did not reveal his role as a consultant to FBC Media, where he wrote praise of Najib’s ‘moderation’.
In 2011, Najib admitted that the government paid RM94 million to FBC Media between years 2007 and 2010.
FBC also paid US$70,000 (RM217,279.77) to APCO Worldwide to lobby for the US government to represent Najib’s administration.