PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has demanded a public retraction of a claim that he had offered current Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman the deputy prime minister’s post if he defects to the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance.
MCPX
In a letter of demand delivered today, Anwar also has also sought an apology to be published in newspapers and an undertaking by Anifah never to repeat his claim.
The letter, a copy of which was made available to Malaysiakini, was sent to the minister’s office in Wisma Putra today by Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair.
If Anifah does not respond within seven days, legal proceedings will be instituted against him.
The article which appeared in the Star on Saturday was entitled ‘Anwar offered me DPM's post, says Anifah’.
According to the letter of demand, this contained “defamatory and libelous words which meant that (Anwar) is dishonest, liar, untrustworthy, unfit to hold public office, unprincipled and corrupt [...] unethical and abuses (his) position in public and private office”.
Anwar claimed that the article and Anifah's remarks are “bereft of truth, vexatious, fallacious, deliberate, malicious” and aimed at exposing him to public hatred, scorn and ridicule.
Anifah had reportedly said: “And I was personally offered to jump into the opposition and offered a very lucrative position - it’s like a deputy prime minister. And this is not known to the world at large.”
The letter of demand also lists four other sentences with “libelous statements”, made during a joint press conference in the US with secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Anwar denies claim
On Saturday, Anwar had vehemently denied offering Anifah the deputy prime minister's post in a bid to entice him to defect to the opposition last year.
He chided the minister for faring poorly in his international debut as foreign affairs minister which, he said, reflects his inexperience and immaturity.
"I have spoken to Anifah only once on the phone and that's it...,” said Anwar after a meet-the-people session at the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency over the weekend.
"I never offered the DPM’s post to him for him to defect. The issue inded was never raised. He was never qualified for such a position anyway. Perhaps it was his dream to become deputy prime minister."
He suggested that the minister was perhaps overawed and overwhelmed by the occasion.
"After all, being a new minister before an international audience for the first time, he was probably prompted to impress his new political master," Anwar added.
Malaysiakini
18/05/09
MCPX
In a letter of demand delivered today, Anwar also has also sought an apology to be published in newspapers and an undertaking by Anifah never to repeat his claim.
The letter, a copy of which was made available to Malaysiakini, was sent to the minister’s office in Wisma Putra today by Anwar’s lawyer Sankara Nair.
If Anifah does not respond within seven days, legal proceedings will be instituted against him.
The article which appeared in the Star on Saturday was entitled ‘Anwar offered me DPM's post, says Anifah’.
According to the letter of demand, this contained “defamatory and libelous words which meant that (Anwar) is dishonest, liar, untrustworthy, unfit to hold public office, unprincipled and corrupt [...] unethical and abuses (his) position in public and private office”.
Anwar claimed that the article and Anifah's remarks are “bereft of truth, vexatious, fallacious, deliberate, malicious” and aimed at exposing him to public hatred, scorn and ridicule.
Anifah had reportedly said: “And I was personally offered to jump into the opposition and offered a very lucrative position - it’s like a deputy prime minister. And this is not known to the world at large.”
The letter of demand also lists four other sentences with “libelous statements”, made during a joint press conference in the US with secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
Anwar denies claim
On Saturday, Anwar had vehemently denied offering Anifah the deputy prime minister's post in a bid to entice him to defect to the opposition last year.
He chided the minister for faring poorly in his international debut as foreign affairs minister which, he said, reflects his inexperience and immaturity.
"I have spoken to Anifah only once on the phone and that's it...,” said Anwar after a meet-the-people session at the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency over the weekend.
"I never offered the DPM’s post to him for him to defect. The issue inded was never raised. He was never qualified for such a position anyway. Perhaps it was his dream to become deputy prime minister."
He suggested that the minister was perhaps overawed and overwhelmed by the occasion.
"After all, being a new minister before an international audience for the first time, he was probably prompted to impress his new political master," Anwar added.
Malaysiakini
18/05/09
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