Pakatan names Zamil as alleged BN 'MP buying agent'

Pakatan Rakyat today disclosed that former Kedah Kita chief Zamil Ibrahim is the man they claimed is an agent for BN to buy over opposition MPs, allegedly featured in a video of the attempt recorded one year ago.

“We want him to comment on this,” said PAS Shah Alam parliamentarian Khalid Samad (centre in photo),  adding that if Zamil does not respond, they will reveal more evidence of the alleged transaction.

He said this during a press conference in parliament today after playing a five-minute videoclip to the press allegedly showing the ‘agent’ and another person meeting with representatives of a Pakatan MP to discuss a defection.

The video, he said is part of a three-hour-long footage covertly shot over a year ago when the Pakatan MP was approached.

The clip showed five persons, four males and a female, sitting at a table in a restaurant, claimed to be located somewhere in the Klang Valley, where the agents tried to negotiate the MP's defection. 

The conversation is hardly audible as it takes place in a noisy restaurant. However, the group can be heard throwing around figures like “10 million” and “2 million”.

The man alleged to be Zamil, however, has his back on the camera.

Also prominent in the short clip is the mention of the name ‘Zahrain’, which was believed to be in reference to former PKR MP Zahrain Hashim (left).

Asked about this during a press conference in the Parliament lobby, Zahrain however said that he does not know what they are alleging and denied that he had been bought.

He also noted that he left the opposition party because he lost faith in the leadership, and not due to financial enticements. 

Khalid had earlier told the press of these allegations but today was the first time they played the video for the press and named names.

‘My dream is to destroy PKR’

Contacted later, Zamil did not confirm or deny that he had played a role in negotiating a defection by a PKR MP.

“I want to see Khalid’s statement first before commenting. I will call a press conference in Sungai Petani tomorrow,” he told Malaysiakini.

Zamil (right), nevertheless denied that he is an Umno agent and has “nothing to do with Umno”.

“My goal is to destroy PKR. If I succeed then I would consider it a good deed. To create havoc within PKR and put it to ruins is my dream, and to me it feels like I would be rewarded by God (ada pahala) if I do so,” he said.

He also issued a warning to PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution, who was at the press conference in Parliament and said Zamil is now a rich man due to his ties with Umno.

“I want to tell Saifuddin to watch his mouth. I am a professional and respect secrets between friends, even if they are in PKR or PAS, but don’t blame me for running my mouth off if they do so first,” he said.

Zamil, who was Kedah PKR Youth chief under the leadership of then-PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor, also reminded Saifuddin that they shared close ties before.

“We were together. The only thing we didn’t do together was shower together. We were that close.

“But he only knows 30 percent of me. He doesn’t know my family background, or if we have wealth in India, Germany, Australia and Saudi Arabia other than Malaysia,” he said.