KUALA LUMPUR: The Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee has confirmed that Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan's claim of being offered a reward in exchange for supporting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did not mislead the Dewan Rakyat.
The committee made this decision after meetings chaired by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul on Sept 6 and 10 of this year.
The findings were published on Parliament's website today.
"The committee finds that the elements required to prove a prima facie case under Standing Order 36(12) of the Dewan Rakyat have not been met. Therefore, the committee agrees that the statement made by the Tasek Gelugor Member of Parliament (Wan Saiful) did not mislead the House," it said.
Following this, the committee recommended that Wan Saiful submit an official report to the authorities, including the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
"The committee also advises the Tasek Gelugor MP to refrain from making further comments on this matter to ensure the interests of the parties involved in the proceedings remain protected," it added.
While the committee found evidence supporting Wan Saiful's claims of a meeting in which various offers were made, such as the dropping of charges, financial rewards, and covering his wife's medical and legal expenses, it said that these claims needed further scrutiny by the relevant authorities.
"Therefore, this evidence requires further scrutiny by the relevant authorities to determine its validity," the committee said.
The committee also said that Wan Saiful's statement did not harm the interests of the parties involved in the case.
However, it expressed concern that further comments on the matter could potentially harm the interests of the parties involved and future proceedings.
"The committee is concerned that any further comments or statements related to this matter could undermine or harm the interests of the parties involved and the proceedings in the future," it said.
In February, Wan Saiful claimed that he had been contacted by several individuals offering support for Anwar's leadership, including an allocation of RM1.7 million for his constituency.
A month later, he alleged that two former Bersatu MPs, Mohd Azizi Abu Naim and Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi, approached him to influence his behaviour in Parliament.
He was then asked to submit a motion to Johari's office under Standing Order 80A of the Dewan Rakyat, which seeks to identify and penalise those who attempt to influence lawmakers' behaviour in the Lower House.