Azmin confident that police will be professional in investigations

SHAH ALAM: Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali (pic) has expressed confidence that the police will ensure professionalism in its probe over the sex videos that implicated him in a bedroom romp with another man.

Azmin was asked to respond to the arrest and subsequent release of Datuk Lokman Noor Adam and another man for obstructing police investigations on Thursday (June 13).

"I don't want to interfere with police matters. But, the police have a duty to conduct investigations and whatever action taken by the police, I'm confident in their professionalism to ensure that investigations are running smoothly," he said.

Azmin was speaking to reporters after attending a Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Mentri Besar's official residence in Shah Alam on Friday (June 14).

Lokman and the other man were arrested after they refused to cooperate with the police when they went to search Lokman's house in Kajang Hillpark on Thursday afternoon.

The police were investigating Lokman under Section 504 of the Penal Code, which is for intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

Earlier on Friday, Otai Reformasi, a group that is supportive of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, had called for Azmin to take a break from his official duties as the Economic Affairs Minister while investigations are ongoing.

Pressed by reporters to respond to calls for him to step aside while investigations are ongoing, Azmin refused to elaborate.

Instead, he thanked Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for defending him over the controversy.

"I'm thankful to the Prime Minister who sternly stated that dirty and gutter politics must be stopped.

"Because, as a new government, we have the responsibility to give our best service to the people," he added.

According to Azmin, Dr Mahathir's condemnation of gutter politics in the country should be taken seriously by everyone.

"The people are hoping for the Pakatan government to provide value politics and a clear principle. They never want us to be involved with dirty work like this.

"I hope the Prime Minister's message will be taken seriously," he said.

On Thursday (June 13), Dr Mahathir said that the controversial sex videos implicating Azmin and a 27-year-old were done by a person who had political agendas.

Dr Mahathir also questioned the motive of the man who admitted to being the other person in the video.

PKR was mired in scandal on Tuesday when a video purportedly of Azmin and Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz went viral.

While Haziq made a confession in cyberspace that it was him and Azmin in the video, the latter slammed the allegations as a nefarious plot to end his political career.