PETALING JAYA: Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the Cabinet has accepted his explanation on the letter he sent to the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the status of professional poker player Paul Phua Wei Seng.
“I have given an explanation to Cabinet Wednesday, and they have accepted it,” Zahid said on Thursday.
He said that the letter was not an endorsement of support for Phua, but a clarification that the 14k triad group originating in Hong Kong did not exist in Malaysia and the latter was not a member of it.
Zahid had also vouched for the detained gambling kingpin, saying that Phua had previously assisted Malaysia in projects affecting national security.
The letter to the FBI, which was sent on Dec 18, was apparently intended to correct certain facts on Phua that was provided by the Malaysian police to the FBI in 2008.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has since defended the police’s report, clarifying that while the 14k triad did not exist in Malaysia, there were Malaysians abroad who were part of the organisation.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also said earlier this week that Cabinet had not been aware of Zahid’s letter as it was not previously discussed.
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