Anwar’s aide denies fleeing to Manila safe house, clarifies still in the country

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary today shot down blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin’s attempt to link him to a controversy involving Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz, pointing out he was not even at the airport where the latter was arrested days ago.

Farhash Wafa Salvador Rizal Mubarak, the political secretary to PKR president Anwar, described Raja Petra’s allegations as “ridiculous” claims that can be easily disproved.

Raja Petra had recently tweeted that Haziq was on the day of his arrest with Farhash at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and that both men were “on their way to a safe house in Manila which Anwar had arranged for Haziq”.

But commenting on Raja Petra’s tweet, Farhash today bluntly told Malay Mail: “It’s fake.”

Farhash later replied with a simple "no" when asked if there was such a safe house in Manila prepared by Anwar for Haziq as alleged by Raja Petra.

Last Friday, which was when Haziq was arrested at KLIA, Farhash said he was doing his usual daily work and taking his “usual route”.

“I was in Petaling Jaya and also my friend’s shop. I was in Petaling Jaya, Cheras,” he said, adding that he was mostly in Petaling Jaya on that day.

He explained that he was last Friday doing his daily work as Anwar’s political secretary and as Perak PKR head.

“I was nowhere close in KLIA. If I am there, I am sure pictures of me would be taken.

“This is all cooked-up story. People like to pinpoint me because I am the political secretary of Anwar. My position makes me a target,” he told Malay Mail.

Farhash also noted that many individuals could vouch that he has been in the country all these while and not abroad.

“I’ve never been out of the country. I have been going about my usual activities.

“It’s ridiculous. So easy to prove I’ve never been out of the country. I’m always in the country. I can show my passport. I’ve been around.

“So these are baseless allegations, even social media people are pointing out where I was,” he added.

He also rebutted a news report that claimed he has gone missing.

“I am not missing. If I am missing, my family would be the first person to lodge a report that I am missing. I am not missing, I’m in daily contact with everyone,” he said.

Farhash said he initially did not want to comment on Raja Petra’s claim as it was merely an “accusation without any proof whatsoever”, adding that he wanted to let the police complete its investigation and noted the risk that what he said could be “spinned”.

“There’s no proof to what Raja Petra said. I was nowhere near KLIA or Manila or other countries,” he said, asserting that he has only been in Malaysia.

Noting that Raja Petra can write anything without regard for facts without repercussion as he is not in Malaysia but based abroad, Farhash said he is not bothered to sue the blogger.

“It’s ridiculous. Raja Petra comes out with all sorts of crazy stories. I don’t find it a need to lodge a report or start a lawsuit,” he said.

“Raja Petra these days he will just say what he wants, write anything he wants regardless of the fact. That’s Raja Petra. So no point for me to lodge a police report or sue. What for? It’ll be a waste of my time and money,” he said.

Farhash said Raja Petra’s fake claims reflected the blame game in the sex video controversy.

“This is a conspiracy theory. They are trying to pinpoint and blame everybody,” he said, later adding that he feels the whole matter “has been blown out of proportion”.

“It’s a blame game. But what is important, let the police do the work, verify whether the video is authentic and find out who are the guys behind it,” he said.

Yesterday, a source close to PKR and Farhash told Malay Mail that Raja Petra’s tweet is a “false accusation”.

Raja Petra’s tweet is linked to the scandal, where Santubong PKR member Haziq has claimed to have had engaged in sexual acts with PKR deputy president and Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.

Earlier today, Azmin said he believes that the viral sex videos implicating him are the work of a party insider after a state PKR leader, rumoured to be Farhash, was said to have been uncontactable or missing.

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