KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad does not believe Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali would be so “stupid” to get involved in something that would put his career at risk.
Referring to the lewd sex video scandal, the Prime Minister maintained that the dissemination of several video clips implicating the Economic Affairs Minister was merely a deliberate attempt to tarnish the latter’s reputation and political career.
“I don’t think he is so stupid to do that and get caught in a picture like that. I think somebody is out to bring him down.
“And nowadays, with all kinds of miracles, you can come up with all sorts of pictures which may or may not be true,” he told reporters after attending the 20th Asia Oil and Gas Conference 2019 opening ceremony, here, today.
He added that while the government was in the midst of repealing the Anti-Fake News Act, action still needed to be taken against dissemination of fake news similar to the one involving Mohamed Azmin.
Mahathir was asked to comment on a blog post by his communications and media adviser Datuk A. Kadir Jasin who cited several international examples of ministers who have resigned for after being plagued by controversy.
To this, Mahathir said there was no necessity for Mohamed Azmin to take similar action simply because other ministers from other countries had done the same.
“I know that in one country, if a place crashes in the airfield, the Transport Minister would resign or throw himself out of a building, but this is not our way,” he said.
Since June 11, several video clips showing a PKR Youth leader Haziq Abdullah Abdul involved in a gay sex have been circulating on social media.
Haziq later confessed he was one of the man in the video and claimed that his partner in the video was Mohamed Azmin, an allegation that the latter has denied on several occasions.
Haziq has since been sacked as the senior private secretary to Primary Industries Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, while PKR has slapped him with a show cause letter.
