KUALA LUMPUR, 4 Sept 2008: Assoc Prof Khairil Annas Jusoh, the special officer to the deputy prime minister, today denied he knew Federal Territory Mosque imam Ramlang Porigi.
Khairil Annas also denied asking Ramlang to conduct the oath-taking at the mosque on 15 Aug by Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan who has accused Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor and now opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of sodomy.
Khairil Annas said the statements by Ramlang carried in an article in the 27 Aug – 3 Sept issue of PKR’s Suara Keadilan, in a video recording of Ramlang’s interview with Suara Keadilan Online on 25 Aug, and in an article in the 31 Aug – 6 Sept issue of Siasah were untrue.
He demanded that Ramlang clear his name and that the two publications make an open apology as well as retract and rectify the false and confusing statements.
"I demand that the press statement be published on the front page of both publications. My lawyers are monitoring (the situation) to take legal action and I reserve my right (to take action) against Ramlang Porigi and the two newspapers," he said in a statement.
He said Ramlang’s statements in the interview and articles were most irresponsible and that the false allegations had damaged his reputation and tarnished his good name as a public officer.
Khairil Annas said the two publications never made any effort to seek his comments on Ramlang’s allegations before publishing the articles.
He said "this untruth" had confused the people and had a negative impact on his reputation.
He stressed that he never knew Ramlang and had never, at any time, contacted, met with, interacted with or spoken to him.
"As such, Ramlang’s claim that he met me at the Federal Territory Mosque and that it was I who arranged for the oath-taking is a lie," he said.
Khairil Annas said he was in Penang with his family and friends at the time that Ramlang claimed he had met him in Kuala Lumpur.
Ramlang was the witness at the Federal Territory Mosque in Jalan Duta on 15 Aug when Saiful took an oath on the Quran to prove he was telling the truth about Anwar sodomising him.
On 24 Aug, Ramlang campaigned for Anwar in the Permatang Pauh by-election, and claimed that he was instructed to witness the oath-taking, which he said was invalid.
The following day, Federal Territory mufti Datuk Wan Zahidi Wan Teh said Ramlang’s claim that Mohd Saiful’s swearing was invalid was unacceptable.
He said Ramlang was a low-ranking mosque official with no background or expertise in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).
Ramlang, in his interview with Suara Keadilan and Siasah, claimed that Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s special officer had instructed him to witness the oath-taking. – Bernama
