Perikatan mulling legal action against Anwar over gaming funds claim

KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional is mulling legal action over Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s remark that implied the coalition had used gambling money to fund its election campaign.

Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the coalition would discuss with its lawyers on the next course of action over the statements made by Anwar as well as Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“The allegations are defamatory and a lie,” he said when met by the press at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex here on Friday (May 26).

When asked if he would file a defamation lawsuit, Muhyiddin said they would first demand an apology.

“It is defamatory and a heavy accusation. We will await their response (after the demand),” he added.

In December last year, it was reported that Anwar had implied that Perikatan’s funds for its election campaign partly came from gambling, particularly 4D numbers.

The claim was later asserted by Ahmad Zahid.

However, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has dropped investigation against Perikatan following the claims that it had used gambling proceeds in the last general election.

“The MACC found that the information was too general and no parties were able to confirm the issue. So, no investigation papers were open,” she said in a parliamentary written reply to a question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN - Pasir Mas) on Thursday (May 25).

Muhyiddin, who was at the courthouse for a mention in his corruption cases at the Sessions Court, said the minister’s statement in Parliament proved that there was no truth to the claims by Anwar.