Tenom MP: I wasn't offered a bribe to 'party-hop' unlike Anifah

KUALA LUMPUR: Tenom MP Datuk Raime Unggi told the High Court on Friday that he was never offered a bribe to party-hop, unlike Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and other Sabah MPs.

Raime said he met Anifah and Beluran MP Datuk Ronald Kiandee at the Le Meridien Sabah in 2008 to discuss about Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim allegedly courting Barisan National MPs in Sabah to jump ship.

Raime said Anifah had brought up the issue and asked him if he had been given such an offer to which he denied, as Ronald had been offered RM5mil to party-hop.

On Thursday, Anifah testified that Anwar had in 2008 attempted to entice him to “party-hop” with a “sweetener” that he would be made deputy prime minister.

The Kimanis MP said he was also offered RM100mil by a businessman close to Anwar, Datuk Ishak Ismail to induce him to get 10 Sabah MPs to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat.

When Anifah's counsel Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah questioned what Anifah's reaction to the offer was, Raime said Anifah appeared "angry and insulted".

Raime added that Anifah called the person orang Anwar (Anwar's man) though Raime could not identify who the person was.

During cross-examination, Anwar's lawyer Razlan Hadri raised the issue of hearsay, asking Raime if he had personally heard the offer.

Raime replied that he was told by Anifah about the offer, but had no first hand knowledge about it.

Razlan also questioned Raime’s decision not to file a police report nor hold a press conference about the offers being made.

"Instead you went on a trip to Macau with Anifah, where the issue was brought up again. Why bring up something that had been decided, unless you were still thinking about it," questioned Razlan.

On May 27, 2009, Anwar filed the suit against Anifah @ Haniff Amman and the Government over alleged libellous statements made against him abroad.

Anwar claimed the minister had during a joint-press conference with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the State Department in Washington on May 16, 2009, linked his name to an alleged offer of a top Malaysian Cabinet post.

The PKR leader claimed the words uttered by Anifah that day implied that he was a dishonest person.

The hearing before High Court Judicial Commissioner Siti Khadijah Badjenid continues on Dec 15.