KUALA LUMPUR, 28 Apr: The statement made by the Prime Minsiter, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, that the Defamation II case involving the Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is just ‘ an action taken by an individual’ who is a former employee who has taken up a case against him, is shocking, dishonest and blatantly false.
The Vice President of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), N Surendran, said that Najib’s actions prove that he blatantly lied on the matter at a press conference with the U.S. President, Barack Obama, recently.
“The case against Anwar is not a private action by an individual. It is a criminal prosecution brought by the Attorney General against Anwar Ibrahim.
“The A-G is the government’s legal advisor and acts on behalf of the government,” said Surendran in a statement, quoted from Keadilan Daily today.
Yesterday, at a press conference with Obama in Putrajaya, Najib said that the sodomy case against Anwar Ibrahim is just ‘ an action taken by an individual’ who is a former employee who has taken up a case against him, and not a case of the government against Anwar.
Surendran said that Najib’s claim that the government is not involved in Anwar’s case is a complete pretence and a shameless attempt to hoodwink the international community.
In fact, Najib himself is directly involved in the case against Anwar. It is undisputed that Najib had personally met with the complainant Saiful at his residence two days before the alleged incident occurred.
“If it is just a case of a complaint by an individual not involving the government, why did the Prime Minister meet the complainant before the incident?
“No reasonable explanation has ever been given by Najib to explain this sinister meeting,” he said.
He said that Najib also deliberately ignores the widespread concern and condemnation of Anwar’s conviction by governments and organisations worldwide, and puts on a hypocritical pretence that this is just an ordinary case in court.
“Najib’s statement was plainly ridiculous and a gross embarrassment to our country in the face of the international media and the visiting American President,” he said.