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There was no need to summon me to Bukit Aman, says Anwar

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Lawyer SN Nair says it is an abuse of power because Section 505b is not a seizable offence.

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Free Malaysia Today
Anwar Ibrahim says police could have gone to his house or office.

KUALA LUMPUR:
PKR president Anwar Ibrahim said it was unnecessary for him to be hauled up to Bukit Aman simply to give a witness statement over the probe into a leaked audio clip allegedly of him and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

After spending more than an hour at the federal police headquarters, Anwar said there were more serious cases of leaked recordings that the police should be probing, particularly the ones involving Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and home minister Hamzah Zainudin.

The opposition leader also said it was a serious problem that unknown individuals could get a hold of audio clips of private conversations between top leaders, “particularly (involving) the home minister”.

“If the home minister’s conversation can be recorded, who can be considered safe in this country? Police must answer this.

“I call on the police to focus on curbing crimes. They need to find Jho Low (fugitive financier Low Taek Jho) and Nicky Liow, don’t be distracted by other things and become a political tool,” he told reporters after giving his statement.

Anwar’s lawyer, Ramkarpal Singh, said the probe was being conducted under Section 505b of the Penal Code, adding that there was no criminal element involving Anwar.

SN Nair, another of Anwar’s lawyers, said it was an abuse of power to summon Anwar to Bukit Aman to give his statement because Section 505b was not a seizable offence.

“This was an abuse just to harass my client and to waste his time. This should stop,” he said.

Anwar added: “They said it’s only a witness statement, so why drag me here? Just see me at my house or my office.”

He had arrived at Bukit Aman to give his statement at about 10am.

Both Anwar and Zahid have denied they were the ones talking in the audio clip, claimed to have taken place after the Umno general assembly last month which had decided there should be no political cooperation with Anwar, Bersatu and DAP in the coming general election.

Anwar previously claimed the sound clip was an attempt by the country’s leaders to resort to tricks after failing to threaten or induce people into supporting them.

Following this, Hamzah said his ministry will investigate the authenticity of the clip. Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador also urged both Zahid and Anwar to lodge reports to enable investigations to begin.

But Anwar said nothing had been done about a previous unconfirmed recording of Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu’s president, allegedly enticing Umno leaders to join his party with promises of positions in the Cabinet and government-linked companies.

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