Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi must explain if it is normal to receive advice on official matters from a private solicitor and not the attorney-general, PKR Youth vice chief Fahmi Fadzil said.
“Is this standard operating procedure or the norm for ministers?” he asked in a statement.
The minister had issued a letter to the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation clearing Paul Phua of involvement in illegal drugs, gambling and money laundering activities upon the request of Phua’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Zahid also said that Phua is assisting Malaysia in “projects affecting our national security”.
“To date, Zahid still chooses to keep mum and refuses to disclose what these “projects affecting our national security” Phua is assisting in are.
“Why is Zahid able to issue such a letter for someone like Phua and do nothing when Interpol issues an arrest warrant against the scholar Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a figure acknowleged by Malaysia through the Tokoh Maal Hijrah award?” he asked.
By keeping mum, Fahmi said, the minister is making it seem that he is defending an individual who was convicted of illegal gambling in and ousted from Macau, and who faces similar charges in the United States.
Fahmi added that Zahid’s assertion that 14K triad has no presence in Malaysia does not mean that Phua is not a member of the triad which the FBI says is mostly based in Bangkok.
According to FBI documents sighted by Malaysiakini, Malaysian police identified Phua as a member of 14K, an illegal drug, gambling and money laundering syndicate.
The document also notes that three Malaysians were suspected to be 14K members, with one being “the boss” for the Thai operations.
Phua' lawyer, Shafee, on Saturday insisted that the top poker player is not a triad member and is innocent of the charge slapped on him by the FBI.
'Shafee shouldn't speak for gov't'
Meanwhile Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force (MyWatch) chairperson Sri Sanjeevan asked what business Shafee had speaking on behalf of the home minister and how he would have information about the existence of triads in the country.
“MyWatch seriously condemn such statement coming from such a prominent lawyer because he should only speak for his client and carry out his duties as a lawyer and not be speaking for the home minister and the IGP and trying to outsmart them.
“What evidence or facts does he have that he (could say) such thing about existence of the gang 14K in Malaysia?
“Does he personally have connections to any of the triads that he knows such gangs don't exist in Malaysia?” asked the crimebuster in a statement last night.
Sanjeevan urged the IGP to probe Shafee for his statement about 14K.
He added that former IGP Musa Hassan should also come forward to confirm and explain if a wrong report about Phua had been sent to the FBI as alleged. - M'kini
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