[ad_1]
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian police are investigating opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for his role in six cases, including the distribution of an alleged list of members of Parliament who he claims back his candidacy to become prime minister.
In a statement on Saturday (October 17), the director of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Datuk Huzir Mohamed, said that the police recorded a statement from Datuk Seri Anwar on Friday.
The former deputy prime minister is under investigation for disturbing public order in relation to the list, among other things.
The list allegedly identifies 121 MPs who back Anwar’s proposal to form a new parliamentary majority and become Malaysia’s third prime minister in 2020.
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his Perikatan Nasional (PN) government hold a narrow two-seat majority after leading mass defections from the Pakatan Harapan coalition to form the PN government in March this year. PN has 113 deputies in the 222-member Chamber.
Several MPs, whose names were on the list, had filed police reports and denied they endorsed Anwar.
“So far we have received 113 police reports related to this matter,” police said.
“We urge people to give us space so that we can conduct this investigation in a transparent and fair manner,” they said.
Anwar is also being investigated for comments he made at a press conference after an audience with Malaysia’s Sultan King Abdullah Ahmad Shah on Tuesday, during which he provided documentation to support his majority claim.
Another separate investigation is for sodomy, a crime for which Anwar has been convicted twice before. Police did not say what the sodomy investigation is about.
Anwar’s hearing with Sultan Abdullah did not immediately result in his success in his bid to become prime minister, and the king is expected to verify his claims with various party leaders after the partial coronavirus closures end in late this month.
Anwar said on Friday that he refused to release the royal list of his supporters to the police as the matter was between him and the king.
The Royal Palace said Tuesday that while Anwar provided the number of MPs who allegedly backed him, he did not reveal the names of the MPs.
Meeting with journalists after giving his statement to police on Friday, Anwar criticized the men in blue for asking him questions about the list of MPs who are said to support his attempt to form a new government.
“I gave the police the most cooperation. But the amazing thing is, why focus on the 121 names of Members of Parliament? ”Anwar said.
“I am not here to cooperate with your political masters to name names. It is not their business. It is between me and His Highness, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King), ”he said.
[ad_2]
