KUALA LUMPUR: Mohideen Abdul Kader, the uncle of Muhammad Yusoff Rawther, has questioned the credibility of a sexual assault claim made by his nephew against a senior politician.
Mohideen, in a statement tonight, said he believed that his nephew had been manipulated by certain quarters to serve their own interests.
He said it is puzzling that the family was unaware of the supposed incident.
“The incident is supposed to have taken place on October 2, 2018, more than one year ago. Yet none of our family members including his (Yusoff’s) grandfather, who was very close to him, was told about this alleged incident,” he said.
Mohideen said Yusoff had actually lodged a police report against one of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretaries for allegedly assaulting him and brought a civil suit against him earlier this year but there is no mention of the alleged incident.
He also claimed that Yusoff has been estranged from the family since the latter’s grandfather passed away early this year.
“Coming more than one year after the alleged incident, and two days before the PKR conference, I believe that Yusoff has been manipulated by some politicians to serve their own interest.
“I thought we had left behind the politics of sodomy with the arrival of Malaysia Baru but, sadly, it keeps cropping up again and again. I am confident that Malaysians will reject such gutter politics,” said Mohideen.
Mohideen is the brother of the late Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president S. M. Mohamed Idris. He is now the CAP president.
Yusoff, 26, via a sworn declaration, had claimed that he had been sexually assaulted by a senior politician during his time working as a researcher with the latter.
The assault allegedly took place at the politician’s house.
Yusoff held a press conference today, where he alleged that there had been no action by the authorities despite furnishing a medical report confirming injuries he allegedly sustained.
Anwar's political secretary, Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak meanwhile had claimed that the press conference was masterminded by ex-PKR member Badrul Saharin @ Chegubard, who was disgruntled over his sacking as a lifetime member three years ago.
Farhash claimed that Badrul was working with an ex-staff to undermine Anwar.
He also claimed that Yusoff was earlier sacked from Anwar's office for indiscipline.
It is understood that Yusoff had in September this year filed an action at the Shah Alam Sessions Court claiming Farhash had inflicted injuries after allegedly punching him without provocation.
He is also suing Anwar’s press secretary Tunku Nashrul Tunku Abaidah over several media statements he made on the incident.