.jpg)
By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright June 23
In a remarkable turn of events, Anwar Ibrahim has unveiled crucial information in his defence against a defamation charge brought by Tun Mahathir.
This revelation sheds light on the previously undisclosed events that transpired between the former mentor and protégé during their time serving together in the cabinet, providing us with a unique glimpse into history.
However, it is ultimately the courts that will determine the defamatory nature of Anwar's remarks at the PKR Congress earlier this year.
Anwar's defence is in response to the RM150 million defamation suit filed against him by Dr. Mahathir. According to reports, Anwar cited several decisions made by Dr. Mahathir, during his 22-year tenure, to justify why the defamation suit should be dismissed.
Let's examine a few of the cases cited by Anwar, although it is the court's responsibility to assess their merits and demerits when deliberating on the defamation suit brought by Tun Mahathir:
• Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd (KPB) Bailout: Anwar referred to the bailout of KPB, owned by Dr. Mahathir's son, Mirzan, in 1997. Despite the government's decision not to rescue troubled companies, Anwar claims that Dr. Mahathir instructed him to devise a special scheme to disburse approximately RM2 billion from the Treasury to assist KPB. Anwar objected, but Dr. Mahathir allegedly directed Petronas to bail out KPB, disregarding Anwar's concerns.
• Telekom Malaysia Bhd Contract: Anwar alleges a contract worth RM214 million to Opcom Cables Sdn Bhd, a company with Dr. Mahathir's sons and daughter-in-law as directors. Anwar claims that the contract was awarded before the formation of a new cabinet and without its approval.
• Petronas' Favorable Treatment of Mokhzani's Kencana Capital Sdn Bhd: Anwar highlights the case of Petronas awarding a major fabrication license to Kencana Capital Sdn Bhd, despite its recent incorporation, which raises questions about favouritism.
• Perwaja Steel: Anwar cites the case of Perwaja Steel, which suffered significant losses in 1995. Despite being instructed to follow proper tender procedures and establish financial committees, the then Managing Director of Perwaja claimed that Dr. Mahathir had given him approval to act as he pleased. Anwar argues that Dr. Mahathir's leniency resulted in the company's insolvency and burdened the Ministry of Finance with substantial liabilities.
On the other hand, Dr. Mahathir accuses Anwar of defaming him by alleging racist behaviour and self-enrichment during his 22-year tenure as prime minister. Anwar's statements were made during PKR's special national congress, where he referred to someone who had been in power for 22 years and an additional 22 months as taking advantage of their position for personal gain.
Dr. Mahathir maintains that he has never been accused or convicted of any wrongdoing involving power abuse or misuse of funds during or after his tenure as prime minister.
With Tun Mahathir accusing Anwar of defamation and Anwar presenting evidence to support his claims, it remains to be seen what further revelations will unfold in court.
It is crucial for Anwar to provide tangible proof to substantiate his allegations of cronyism, nepotism, and favouritism attributed to Dr. Mahathir.
Otherwise, it would be just Anwar's words against Tun Mahathir's. Good narratives alone may not be sound enough in a court of law.
Mihar Dias is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
