ONE OF the two MPs who have been accused of trying to lure Bersatu backbencher Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan to support Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is president of rival PKR, has sternly refuted ever doing so.
Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, the MP for Gua Musang, described Wan Saiful’s claim in the Dewan Rakyat earlier today as a slanderous move aimed at tarnishing his image as a politician.
According to media reports, he challenged Wan Saiful to provide evidence to back the accusation.
Azizi was quoted by Free Malaysia Today as saying that he had never asked to meet Wan Saiful to secure his support for Anwar.
He claimed that he had merely bumped into Wan Saiful at a cafe in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
“He then asked me about the privileges I had obtained since giving the prime minister my support,” Azizi was reported as saying.
“I replied that I had only received the same allocations as government MPs (for my constituency).”
Wan Saiful had asked the Dewan Rakyat to set up a committee to identify and penalise both Azizi and Tanjong Karang MP Zulkafperi Hanapi – both Bersatu lawmakers who had prior to this declared their support for Anwar to lead the country.
Responding to this, Azizi reportedly told New Straits Times that he was not in Parliament when he found out about the allegation levelled against him in the house.
He said that he was attending a briefing session outside and was taken aback when he heard about what had been said about him.
"It really shocked me after hearing all the allegations against me and I would like to stress here that I have never invited or called him asking to meet the prime minister.
"But I remembered that I have met him and another man whom l could not recognised at a cafe in Kuala Lumpur this year,” he was quoted as saying.
Azizi said that Wan Saiful had claimed that he had been approached by someone to express his support for the prime minister.
He said that he then showed Wan Saiful from his mobile phone the details and agreement of what he would get as a reward for supporting Anwar
"I told him that I will get the same allocation as other MPs in the unity government.” Azizi said to NST.
Wan Saiful had said in the house earlier that offers were extended to him by Azizi along with two individuals known as Hasnan and Datuk Azman on January 17.
Another offer was made by a man who introduced himself as a Datuk Rahim on February 26 after being introduced by Zulkafperi.
Wan Saiful also alleged that the offer included an RM2 million parliamentary allocation, payment for his wife’s medical expenses, an unspecified token sum to cover legal fees for his ongoing court case and the possibility of dropping the charges brought against him.
He said that the offer was an attempt to influence his behaviour and constitutes harassment, bribery and threats.
He proposed the committee be set up under Standing Order 80A to identify and penalise those who committed contempt of the house under Sections 9(d) and 9(e) of the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952, or Act 347.
The sections outline contemptuous actions towards the authority, functions, and privileges of Parliament. – The Vibes, March 21, 2024
