Police too busy in Kedah lah

PKR MPs want police probe after branded ‘durian lovers’

Two PKR lawmakers have urged the police to investigate who was behind a recent claim about them accepting bribes to defect to Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah and Sungai Buloh MP R Sivarasa lodged individual police reports at the Petaling Jaya district police station this morning.

In her report sighted by Malaysiakini, Maria referenced an infographic published on the Facebook page of Umno-linked figure Rafi Awg Kechik which implied that she, Sivarasa, and DAP's Damansara MP Tony Pua had defected.

She also pointed to a separate essay that made the claim and falsely attributed the information to website Agenda Daily.

“This news is not true at all and has bad intentions. This news is an attempt to disgrace me and tarnish my reputation...

“I believe the spread of this essay and infographic was done in a systematic manner and constituted a misuse of the internet, which is a crime especially under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988.

“I have made this report so police can investigate this offence and related issues,” Maria (above) said.

When contacted, Sivarasa showed he had lodged a similar police report.

Maria denied the defection claim yesterday, branding it “gutter politics” and stressing her commitment to PKR and Pakatan Harapan.

The infographic she mentioned had borne a Perikatan Nasional logo and implied the trio were “durian lovers”.

Durian in this context refers to bribes, not the fruit.

Since last week, several opposition MPs have received offers from unknown individuals offering them “durian RM30” to defect to PN.

These offers came after 15 Umno MPs, including two cabinet ministers, announced their withdrawal from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government.

Both the police and MACC are investigating the purported defection offers.