PETALING JAYA: Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali has denied that he is one of two men seen in a video showing the duo engaging in a homosexual act.
“This is nothing but a nefarious plot to assassinate my reputation and character, in an attempt to destroy my political career,“ he said in a statement today.
“I have instructed my lawyers to take appropriate legal action against the individual who made these abominable allegations, as well as against other perpetrators.”
“I will avail myself of all legal means at my disposal to expose these culprits,“ said Mohamed Azmin, who is also PKR deputy president.
In the video that surfaced on Monday, two men are seen in cuddling on a bed.
On Tuesday, a Facebook post by Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz, the private secretary to the deputy minister of Primary Industries, claimed that Mohamed Azmin was one of the two men in the video, and that he was the other person on the bed with the minister.
“Judging from recent political developments, this is clearly the latest in a series of concerted attempts over the past few months to vilify me,“ said Mohamed Azmin.
“This includes intimidation against the safety of my family and I in the final week of Ramadhan, and vile and baseless accusations of corruption,“ he added.
In addition to the video, also circulated on social media at the same time were photographs of bank statements indicating that RM3.1 million had been transferred to an offshore account belonging to Mohamed Azmin.
“I utterly condemn this brand of gutter politics. It has no place in this era of New Malaysia, where we are working to rebuild the nation through institutional reforms.”
“I will not submit to these cowardly acts and heinous attempts to distract the public from the pressing concerns of the nation and the successes of the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the planning and implementation of national development policies that are sustainable and inclusive.”
I trust the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission will take all necessary action in regard to this matter,“ he added.
Meanwhile, UEM Group Bhd has denied involvement in any payments made to Mohamed Azmin.
The photographs of bank transaction slips posted on social media purportedly showed that RM3.1 million from UEM’s Maybank account had been transferred to Mohamed Azmin’s Deutsche Bank offshore account.
UEM said it does not have an account with Maybank’s main branch in Kuala Lumpur nor any account with the number depicted in the photographs.
Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said today the sex video saga “marks a sad day for Malaysia”.
She said the only objective of posting such videos was to end the careers and ruin the reputation and character of leaders.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when met upon his arrival for the PKR political bureau meeting late today, said he had spoken to Mohamed Azmin about the video.
However, he declined to further comment.
