KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has filed another letter of demand over a claim that he received payment of RM15 million for his services as economic adviser to the Selangor state government, with the recipient being Pas Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Ahmad Amzad Hashim.
Anwar's lawyers, SN Nair & Partners, said Amzad is alleged to have been recorded making the remarks in a video on TikTok.
The 52-year-old Kuala Terengganu MP also allegedly said Anwar's royal pardon back in 2018 was evidence that he was guilty of the three convictions he was charged with, one for abuse of power and two for sodomy.
In the legal notice, Anwar's lawyers said Amzad's claims were untrue, slanderous, malicious and defamatory, adding that the RM15 million claim had been refuted by the Selangor state government as reported by local news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT).
They added that his alleged remarks insulted the institution of Malay rulers and challenged the then Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V's decision and authority, as enshrined in the constitution, to pardon Anwar.
The demand is for Amzad to publicly retract the video and his comments, as well as apologise unconditionally within five days, or legal action will be taken against him.
They also expect a written pledge that he will not repeat the allegations, failing which they will apply for an injunction against him, as well as for damages and costs.
"If our client does not get a satisfactory response within five days from the date of this notice, we have been instructed to initiate legal action," said the notice that was sent to the Pas leader.
Yesterday, Anwar demanded that Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin apologise for making a similar RM15 million claim during a PN ceramah in Padang Serai.
Anwar was appointed as the state's economic adviser in 2009, when the late Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim was the Selangor menteri besar, one year after the then Pakatan Rakyat coalition came to power and formed the state government following the General Election (GE12).
Political secretary to Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, Juwairiya Zulkifli, had vehemently denied Muhyiddin's allegation that Anwar was paid RM15 million for his stint as the state's economic adviser.
Instead, she said that the PKR president only received a token sum of RM1 per year for his services.