Nazri calls for probe into ‘Anwar-Zahid’ audio recording, says time for Zahid to resign

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has called on the Home Ministry to investigate the authenticity of a leaked audio recording allegedly between Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"I'm urging the Home Minister to investigate since a police report has been made. We cannot leave it just like that. We really want to know whether it's true or fake.

"Only an investigation by the police will give us the real story," he said on Wednesday (April 7).

Ahmad Zahid has since denied having a phone conversation with Anwar after the Umno annual general meeting recently, saying that he had ordered his officer to lodge a police report over the incident.

Ahmad Zahid also alleged that the recording was a political attempt to weaken Umno.

Elaborating further, Nazri said it is time for Ahmad Zahid to resign, adding that he does not believe that the audio recording was spread with an intention to attack Umno.

"I believe the attack is not on the party, but on him. Because he is the president of Umno, it's so convenient to say that this is an attempt to attack the party.

"I don't believe that the government is trying to attack the party. I think it is just him and that is why he got to leave because his problem is becoming the party's problem now."

Without mincing his words, Nazri said Ahmad Zahid has become a liability to Umno recently.

"In fact, he has made many commitments without the consensus of the supreme council," added Nazri.

Nazri said the final straw for him was when MIC, in its general assembly last weekend, invited Prime Minister and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"If it was another person who was the Barisan Nasional chairman, I don't think MIC would have invited Muhyiddin.

"Since that happened, I think it's really a slap in the face and for us in Barisan and Umno, we feel deeply embarrassed with what has happened."

Nazri also said this shows MIC's disrespect towards the Barisan chairman, as many statements and decisions made by Ahmad Zahid was done unilaterally.

"Many statements and decisions he made, he never calls for meetings. MIC does this, I can understand. For us in Umno, this is an embarrassment," he added.

Strained ties between MIC and Umno came following a slew of issues, among which included Ahmad Zahid's call for Barisan ministers to resign from the Cabinet and Umno's intention to contest in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat, which has been traditionally contested by MIC.

On Wednesday (April 7), an audio clip of a conversation between two voices sounding like Ahmad Zahid and Anwar went viral.

In the recording, two voices can be heard congratulating and thanking each other for having put up a good performance during the Umno AGM and discussed the possible resignation of Umno ministers as well as the exit of Umno from the Perikatan Nasional government.