Ex-aide: Mukhriz lied, Cambridge Analytica advised him personally

SCL Group Southeast Asia chief Azrin Zizal says his former boss and ex-Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir lied about receiving election advice from Cambridge Analytica (CA) in 2013.

"Mukhriz said CA worked for BN. This again is not true... The 2013 election advice for Kedah was provided to Mukhriz personally.

"At no time has CA or its parent SCL Group ever worked for or been paid by BN or any part of the government of Malaysia," Azrin said in a statement today.

Malaysiakini has contacted Mukhriz for comment.

Azrin's statement is in line with the Prime Minister's Office saying yesterday that neither the government nor BN had ever contracted CA.

Mukhriz had dubbed the PMO statement "misleading," and an attempt to divert attention away from the "possible use of illegal campaign tactics as admitted by CA for BN."

'Absolutely false'

Azrin had previously served with Mukhriz while the latter was deputy international trade and industry minister.

Mukhriz said Azrin stopped working for him when he became Kedah menteri besar in 2013. 

However, Azrin refuted this, saying he continued to serve Mukhriz until 2015.

"This is absolutely false. I worked for Mukhriz personally and provided communications and strategy advice for him until 2015, including during the 2013 general election, and afterwards when he became menteri besar.

"I will provide proof if he continues to falsify the truth. 

"Perhaps – while Mukhriz continues to deny my work for him and deny the benefits he gained from the advice I provided to him from CA and SCL Group for Kedah during the 2013 general election – he will also deny Kedah winning an extra six parliament seats, winning over the state and him becoming menteri besar?" his statement read.

CA received international attention after it reportedly misused millions of users’ personal data on Facebook for political ends.

The data analytics firm was also accused of using entrapment tactics against political opponents, including sending operatives to offer bribes, and springing “honey traps.”

CA’s managing director Mark Turnbull was caught on an undercover video by UK's Channel 4 as saying that the firm's job was to discover deep-rooted fears of its target audience.

"It's no good fighting an election campaign on the facts, but actually it's all about emotion," he had said.