KUALA LUMPUR: A police report should be lodged by controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan if it was not him who called Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong on March 15 over the issue of egg importation from India.
Dr Wee said an individual named Deepak had called him twice on March 15, with the first call on WhatsApp lasting 33 seconds before being abruptly cut off at 9.51am, and the second phone call at 9.52am lasting over seven minutes.
“If Deepak Jaikishan feels that anyone was impersonating him to call me, I urge him to lodge a police report to clear his name.
“I’m ready to cooperate with the police and I will reveal all the evidence that I have,” he said during a press conference in Parliament yesterday.
His remarks came following a media statement by Deepak on Wednesday where the businessman denied calling the MCA president over the issue of the import of eggs.
Dr Wee said that aside from the police, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and related telco companies should also investigate the matter.
He also revealed the number that came through his phone that day.
“By using the TrueCaller app, one could find an individual with the name ‘Deepak J Tekwani’ linked to the number,” he added.
A check by The Star on the TrueCaller app showed that the number was registered as “Deepak J Tekwani” before it was quickly changed to Arabic words that translated to “washing machine maintenance”.
Dr Wee also showed the profile picture of the number on WhatsApp, which was initially that of a man in a blue suit, but later changed to Tesla founder Elon Musk.
He said he had to speak out because as an MP, it was his responsibility to raise issues of national interest in Parliament.
“As an MP, I’m duty-bound to serve as check and balance. We shouldn’t come here (Parliament) and be a ‘yes-man’ to everything,” he added.
On March 15 in Parliament, Dr Wee said he was told by Deepak to issue a clarification on the egg shortage issue following alleged discussions with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
On the same day, the PMO issued a statement to warn that legal action would be taken against those found to have misused its name for any purpose but did not refer to any parties specifically.
Dr Wee has received two legal letters from J&E Advanced Tech Sdn Bhd, one on Feb 28 and another on March 2.
The issue began on Feb 22 when Dr Wee spoke about it while debating the motion of thanks to the Royal Address in the Dewan Rakyat.
He warned that the government would face a barrage of criticism if the chicken egg shortage was not resolved as Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri approached.
He also brought out three different eggs – from India, locally-produced and an Omega 3-enriched one – to show their size difference and cost.
The eggs imported from India were white-shelled and weighed between 50g and 55g, which could be classified as Grade D eggs in Malaysia.
Later yesterday, Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul said it isn’t necessary to hold an inquiry over the issue of Dr Wee being pressured by an individual to clarify his remarks on the matter.
Johari said this is because he has already issued a letter to Dr Wee citing Article 63 of the Constitution, which states that MPs have immunity for raising issues in Parliament.
“If he spoke outside Parliament, that’s a different issue.
“No need to investigate. Look at the Constitution, it is very clear,” Johari told reporters.
His remarks came following a statement by the Backbenchers’ Club chairman Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, who urged the Speaker to investigate Dr Wee’s allegations.
