Thursday 28 Mar 2024
By
main news image

KUALA LUMPUR (July 23): The sex video scandal revolving around Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali is not a moral issue, but a political ploy, and shall henceforth be dealt with as such, according to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In a blog post today on chedet.cc, Dr Mahathir said he is often asked about the lewd video, featuring two men explicitly engaging in sexual acts in a hotel bedroom. He stressed that he will not let himself be used by the mastermind behind the circulation of the video to end someone's political career.

"It is obvious that the video was created and circulated for political purposes. [This was done] specifically to impede the success of certain political individuals," he said, without mentioning any names.

"The next action that is expected to follow this circulation [of the video] is the removal of the targeted individual.

"I can do this because I have the power to do so. When I take this action, then the mastermind who planned this evil scheme will succeed," Dr Mahathir added.

He pointed out that Islam prohibits spying to find the fault of others. "What was done was worse than peeping," he said.

"I will not be manipulated, what more by a conspirator who has bad intentions and resorts to gutter politics."

At the sidelines of a Bank Negara Malaysia event, when asked if he was defending Azmin, Dr Mahathir said: "I am not defending him. I'm just saying I won't be coerced into being part of dirty politics like that.

"Obviously somebody is trying to make use of me to achieve their goals. This is not the usual video that you see before. This is purposely created in order to achieve nasty objectives, to prevent somebody from making progress in politics. This [video] was planned and I am not going to be an agent to making the plan a success," Dr Mahathir said.

The sex video went viral on social media in May, and is currently still under police investigation.

Following the circulation of the video, a former government aide in the Ministry of Primary Industries and former PKR Santubong youth chief Haziq Aziz has stepped forward, confessing to be one of the two men in the video and claiming his partner was the PKR deputy president Azmin.

Azmin, however, has consistently denied his involvement in the video, saying it is an attempt to hinder the advancement of his political career.

So far, 11 people have been detained over the case to date, with five subsequently released after their remand expired on Thursday (July 18)

This includes Haziq himself, as well as Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, who is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's political secretary and Perak PKR chief.

Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador has previously said investigations showed that the video was likely authentic but facial recognition analysis could not link it to Azmin.

      Print
      Text Size
      Share