KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today issued a letter of demand to Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin for a retraction and apology over the claim Anwar was paid RM15 million annually as Selangor state adviser.
In the ten-page legal letter sent by Anwar’s lawyers at SN Nair & Partners, they claimed Muhyiddin published or caused to be published an excerpt from the PN Grand Finale ceramah in Padang Serai, Kedah, on TikTok through the @beritakini8 account on December 5.
Anwar’s lawyer said that this video clip had been viewed 1.1 million times, shared 2,169 times, liked 21,400 times, and commented on 6,061 times as of the letter’s issuance today.
The lawyer said the audio clip had carried allegedly defamatory remarks against Anwar through claims he was paid RM15 million when he was Selangor economic adviser before becoming prime minister.
They stressed that the allegations were untrue and maliciously made against Anwar.
They further noted that the claim by Muhyiddin has since been refuted by Selangor state official Juwairiya Zulkifli in an official press statement dated December 7 that was also carried by other news outlets.
The law firm said both the press statement and news article have unequivocally strengthened their client’s denial against Muhyiddin’s hearsay remark.
It claimed the alleged defamatory act was committed to garner cheap publicity for political purposes in the attempt to sway voter support during the Padang Serai parliamentary election.
If no satisfactory response from Muhyiddin is received within three days of receiving this letter of demand, Anwar’s lawyers said legal action would be initiated.
Anwar demanded for Muhyiddin to immediately and publicly make an unconditional retraction of the defamatory video clip, as well as to make an unconditional apology to be published in newspapers and media of Anwar’s choice, and to make a written undertaking or promise to not repeat the allegations in the video clip.
Anwar’s lawyers said that failure to do so would result in them seeking an injunction order from the court and to initiate a legal action against Muhyiddin.
Anwar is also seeking compensation over the serious injury to his reputation and for legal costs to be borne by Muhyiddin.
When contacted, lawyer Datuk SN Nair confirmed the letter was posted and delivered by hand today.
Anwar was first appointed Selangor economic adviser in November 2009 when the late Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was mentri besar.
He continued to hold the post even after his imprisonment in 2015 on a sodomy charge, when Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali was mentri besar.
He was given a full royal pardon and released from prison in early 2018 after Pakatan Harapan won the general election.
