'Prove it', Anwar tells Hamzah on allegations of pressuring Opposition MP for support

PUTRAJAYA: Please furnish the necessary evidence that Kuala Kangsar MP Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid was pressured to declare his support for me, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tells Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin.

Anwar stressed that he had never contacted, reached, sent a representative or met Iskandar Dzulkarnain to discuss asking for his support.

"If he (Hamzah) has any evidence, he should bring this as a case.

"What I know, I have not met him, contacted or sent a representative or anyone to give any pressure.

"If you have evidence, prove it, don't simply say," Anwar told reporters after attending a programme at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) on Wednesday (Oct 18).

The Prime Minister said that such allegations were serious in nature and urged Hamzah to lodge a report to the relevant authorities.

ALSO READ: Kuala Kangsar MP declared support for Anwar on own accord, says Zahid

On Tuesday (Sept 17) Iskandar Dzulkarnain maintained that his reason for declaring support for the Prime Minister was so that funds would be channelled to his constituents, and not because he was pressured to do so.

The Kuala Kangsar MP also brushed off allegations that he was threatened with corruption charges.

Perikatan National, in a response to Iskandar Dzulkarnain’s announcement supporting Anwar last week, had claimed that the lawmaker was pressured by the government into supporting Anwar’s leadership.

ALSO READ: Kuala Kangsar MP says no pressure involved, supporting PM to ensure funds for constituency

Hamzah, who is Perikatan secretary-general claimed that the MP was brought to meet a top officer of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Oct 1 and was threatened with corruption charges if he refused to sign a statement stating his support for the government.

Hamzah further claimed that in a recent meeting with Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Iskandar Dzulkarnain “appeared visibly distressed due to the intimidation being placed on him”.