PKR admit meeting Aminah but not to bribe

UPDATED

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

PENANTI, May 26 – The two PKR leaders accused of attempted bribery by independent candidate Aminah Abdullah today admitted that the voices in the recording were indeed theirs.

Supreme council member Cheah Ka Peng and special officer to a Penang PKR exectuive councillor Peter Lim said the meeting, as claimed by Aminah, did take place at the latter’s house on May 13.

They, however, rubbished claims made by the former Penang PKR Wanita chief that they had tried to bribe her with a top post at the Penang City Council if she withdrew from contesting in the by-election.

They also denied trying to persuade her to rejoin the party and offering her the deputy chief minister (DCM) post.

Aminah claimed that the offer was done with the approval of party leader and opposition icon Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“It was just a meeting of a jovial nature. We categorically deny the allegations made by her. The recording is misleading,” Cheah told a press conference adding that he felt betrayed by Aminah’s act of secretly recording their meeting.

“The meeting was done in our own personal capacity and not endorsed by any organisation.

“We are close friends for over a decade now. We always visit her during Hari Raya and we were there at her daughter’s engagement ceremony,” he said.

However, Cheah gave a vague answer when asked if the DCM post offer was part of their “jovial conversation” saying only that the topic came out “after she had thrown the question (in).”

He also refused to answer questions on the content of the compact disc which contains the audio recording saying it was best if the press asked Aminah instead of him as it was she who had made the allegations.

“Why don’t you ask her instead since she is the one raising the accusations,” a visibly annoyed Cheah said.

He added that the matter will now be dealt with by PKR party lawyers. A notice demanding Aminah retract her allegations and apologise has already been issued today.

The supreme council leader then appealed to the press to focus on the issues pertaining to the by-election instead of Aminah’s alleagtions which he described as nothing more than a political stunt.

But whether Cheah likes it or not, the issue has escalated to a different level now that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has stepped in.

Aminah today revealed that she was interviewed by MACC officers at their office in Butterworth yesterday.

She had also submitted the audio recording and pictorial evidence of the meeting to the Elections Commission this morning. (TMI)