KUALA LUMPUR: A Bersatu member of Parliament has poured cold water on Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan's claims of being offered a reward to back Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
"It's just psy-war," Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal told the New Straits Times.
"He should have lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). If he has evidence to support his claims, he should take the matter to the authorities."
A failure to do so would prove that the Tasek Gelugor MP was only trying to play politics for Bersatu's benefit, he said.
Syed Hussin was commenting on Wan Saiful's claim that he was offered millions of ringgit in allocations as well as money for his wife's cancer treatment and legal battles to switch his political allegiance.
Wan Saiful, who made the claim in Parliament, has named two other Bersatu rebels Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi and Mohd Azizi Abu Naim as those who tried to coax him into backing Anwar.
MACC has since asked Wan Saiful to give his statement on the matter as a witness, though this has not happened.
Today, Syed Hussin, who is among six Bersatu MPs to have pledged support for Anwar, accused Wan Saiful of trying to deter other Bersatu MPs from doing so.
Other MPs who have declared support for the unity government are Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) as well as Zulkafperi (Tanjong Karang) and Mohd Azizi (Gua Musang).
Syed Husin said he and the five other Bersatu MPs have no plans to initiate legal action against Wan Saiful over his claims.
"We have issued statements to respond to the claims made."
