Sex video is a political scheme, says Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR: The sex video implicating Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali is part of a scheme to prevent certain persons from succeeding in politics, said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He was asked to comment on the arrest of nine people by the police in the past few days over the distribution of the viral sex video.

“I think you know the whole thing is about politics.

“It is not about exposing somebody’s wrongdoings. It is about politics, in order to prevent somebody from being able to succeed in politics.

“It is a political scheme that’s definitely intended to prevent somebody from succeeding,” he said.

Dr Mahathir also said that Azmin need not go on leave pending the outcome of the investigations on the video.

“He can carry on. You are not guilty until proven (otherwise),” he said after launching the Beyond Paradigm Shift Summit organised by Serba Dinamik Holdings Sdn Bhd at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre yesterday.

On Tuesday, Deputy Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said those being investigated in relation to the sex video should go on leave.

Shamsul also said implicated political leaders should not hide behind powerful positions and party posts, nor should they use the Prime Minister as a shield.

When asked about Shamsul’s statement the same day, Azmin merely said, “Don’t be a hypocrite.”

The police have so far remanded nine people, including Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, who is the Perak PKR state chief and political secretary of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

For the past month, clips of a sex video featuring two men were circulated to media personnel and PKR members.

This was followed by a confession video by Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz, a PKR member and former political aide to Shamsul, that he was one of the two men in the video.