Zahid 'broke convention', police report to be filed

 

PKR has accused Ahmad Zahid Hamidi of breaching diplomatic convention in bypassing the Foreign Ministry by sending out a letter in defence of alleged Malaysian gambling kingpin Paul Puah.

Party vice-president Rafizi Ramli told Malaysiakini that a police report would also be lodged against the home minister and senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.

Rafizi claimed that Zahid's conduct "heightened suspicion that it (the letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation) is not above board."

"If it is a genuine and above-board clarification by the Malaysian authorities, it should have been done by the police and communicated through Wisma Putra's diplomatic channel.

"The fact that Zahid broke both conventions highlights the serious inappropriateness of his act and warrants investigation to be commenced against him," he said.

In particular, Rafizi stressed, it was important to determine how many such letters have been issued so far.

A check by Malaysiakini with those familiar with such procedures also revealed that in cases of vouching for a citizen, the proper channel would be the Foreign Ministry.

As for the police report, Rafizi said it would also be a test for Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar.

“This is to see if the IGP will act independently to investigate the home minister (who oversees the police force) and an Umno lawyer when it is so clear that a possible ministerial misconduct had taken place,” he added.

Meanwhile, Rafizi also expressed concern over a Malaysiakini report yesterday that Zahid did not consult the police before sending the letter.

He said the minister should have engaged the police as they knew better about the case as opposed to “misrepresenting the country”.

Contacted later, Khalid said should PKR lodge the report, it would definitely be investigated.

“We investigate all reports, regardless of whom these are lodged against,” the police chief told Malaysiakini.

Previously, Shafee, who is representing Phua in Malaysia, said Zahid had penned the letter to correct a mistake regarding his client, who is facing court proceedings in the United States.

Shafee said that Phua was not a member of the transnational crime organisation 14K, as alleged, and added that the triad did not exist in Malaysia.

However, the IGP later said that while 14K did not exist in Malaysia, Malaysians abroad were known to be members of the triad.

Today, Shafee remained firm that there was an error and dismissed the Malaysiakini report stating that the police defended their findings on Phua.

Zahid, on the other hand, has remained tightlipped on the matter.