KUALA LUMPUR: Perikatan Nasional (PN) asserts that Kuala Kangsar member of parliament (MP) Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, was threatened and intimidated with corruption allegations if he did not support the government.
PN secretary-general Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin said such threat and intimidation used on the MP was to secure support for the Madani government in regaining a two-thirds majority in parliament.
Hamzah claimed that on Oct 1, Iskandar Dzulkarnain was brought to meet with a senior officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at a hotel in Damansara and was threatened with corruption charges, if unwilling to sign a pre-prepared media statement stating his support for the government.
"Before that, on Sept 26, the Kuala Kangsar MP was also visited by a business tycoon, with the title of Tan Sri, believed to have close ties with the prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) at a location around Damansara.
"He was pressured and urged to support the prime minister and was promised monetary rewards as well as positions in several companies," he said in a statement today.
He added that during the recent meeting between Iskandar Dzulkarnain and PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the former appeared distressed due to the intimidation imposed on him.
"PN strongly condemns such acts by the Madani government that continues abusing power through intimidation and threats against opposition leaders.
"We urge the Madani government to stop abusing power and intimidation against all MPs. Such practices contradict the principles of democracy being upheld in a country that values the sanctity of the constitution and the rule of law."
Hamzah added, at the same time the coalition was concerned over the media statement made by the Kuala Kangsar MP.
"His statement used development allocation as a justification, in contrast to the explanations provided to several party leaders."
He said PN acknowledged the decision made by its Political Bureau Meeting to summon Iskandar Dzulkarnain for an explanation before taking further action.
Yesterday, Iskandar Dzulkarnain in a statement decided to support the prime minister's leadership.
He said the decision was made after examining the continuous complaints of the voters and the urgent need to deal with the rising cost of living faced by his constituents.