Azeez gives Guan Eng 4 days to apologise over tunnel payment claims

(FMT) – Baling MP Abdul Azeez Rahim has given Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng four days to apologise for allegedly making defamatory statements over the Penang undersea tunnel project.

He warned that he would proceed with court action if Lim failed to do so.

“I want him to make a public apology and retract defamatory statements against me, Umno and Tabung Haji,” he said during a press conference outside the Dewan Rakyat today.

Azeez, an Umno supreme council member, said the apology should also be included in the mainstream media.

“He (Lim) should not repeat the defamatory statements. He should also state where he got the information from.”

Azeez said his lawyers sent a letter yesterday to Lim’s office at 3.30pm and another to his residence at 4.30pm in Penang. 

Azeez was referring to news reports that Lim had asked Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd to explain allegations that RM22 million had been paid to a businessman and a Member of Parliament in connection with the controversial three roads and undersea tunnel project to be undertaken by Zenith.

Lim had said he was unaware of the alleged RM19 million that Zenith is said to have paid a businessman and RM3 million to Azeez for “consultancy work”. He had asked why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had not arrested the Baling MP.

It was reported that Zenith had issued demand letters to the duo over the matter “after they failed to execute their tasks to deliver the consultancy services as per their agreements in July 2017”.

However, the legal firm representing Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd has since retracted the claim made against Azeez.

Yesterday, Azeez said the firm had agreed that he was a victim of name-dropping. Azeez said the firm told him it would set the record straight to clear his name.

Guan Eng: I will contest the suit

Meanwhile, in an immediate reply, Guan Eng said he would contest the suit.

“He has the right if he wants to sue. But definitely I will contest the suit,” he said at a separate press conference outside the Dewan Rakyat.

Lim also said he had not gone back to Penang and had not read the letters.

He added it was common for BN leaders to sue the opposition.