Bersatu Grassroots Leader I Never Withdrew Sandakan Video Report

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Bersatu grassroots leader Shafiq Abdul Halim has confirmed the authenticity of the police report he made in 2019 against the "Sandakan video" scandal which allegedly involved then-minister Azmin Ali.
The Hulu Langat Bersatu information chief also confirmed that he had not withdrawn the report.
Shafiq stressed that although his police report has gone viral recently, he refused to be made a "victim" of the party's internal disputes should the government intend to review the investigation.
"The focus of the investigation should be directed towards establishing the truth and not influenced by the political agenda of any party," he said in a statement today.
Earlier today, Gombak PKR Youth chief Abdul Haris Harahap and Wangsa Maju PKR Youth vice-chief Ammar Othman asked whether Shafiq had withdrawn his police report against the video after joining Bersatu.
The pair said that according to their understanding, Shafiq, who had been a member of Umno at the time, had been the first to lodge a report against the video.
They further requested an explanation from Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail regarding the status of Shafiq's report as well as the status of the police's investigation into the matter.
New tech could help probe
Commenting further, Shafiq said he welcomes the reopening of any investigation based on his report.
"The original purpose of this report was not to harm any party, but rather to obtain certainty and clarification regarding the issue raised," he explained.
He said the investigation at the time verified the video clip's authenticity as well as the lack of any editing.
"However, the faces of the two individuals recorded appeared blurred, making it difficult to clearly identify them.
"If the police believes that current developments in science and technology can help identify blurred faces, I openly welcome the investigation to continue to establish the truth," he added.
Wan Saiful-Azmin tiff
On Monday, Bersatu supreme council member Wan Saiful Wan Jan told a press conference that his relationship with Azmin, who is the party's secretary-general, had been “hot and cold” since last year, allegedly due to information that the "Sandakan video" was authentic.
Azmin AliIn 2019, Azmin categorically denied what he described as “vicious libel” against him by Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz, the other person who claimed to be in the video.
Wan Saiful, who held the press conference with several other party leaders, also raised allegations that Azmin and Bersatu information chief Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz committed misconduct.
The press conference was held to address allegations that he and a group of Bersatu leaders were trying to force Muhyiddin Yassin into handing over the party leadership to deputy president Hamzah Zainudin.
Earlier today, Azmin responded to Wan Saiful's allegations by accusing the latter of slander.
Azmin claimed that Wan Saiful failed to rely on facts when issuing the allegations, adding that the Tasek Gelugor MP was wallowing in slander by resurrecting the accusations against him. - Mkini

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