Syed Saddiq claims being blackmailed over ‘sensitive’ photos (VIDEO)
PPBM Youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman speaking to members of the media during a press conference at PPBM headquarters in Petaling Jaya, October 4, 2017. — Picture by Yusof Mat IsaMore
PETALING JAYA, Oct 4 — Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s (PPBM) Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman claimed today he had received a new blackmail threat against him over several “sensitive” photos.
The head of PPBM’s youth wing Armada said he had lodged a report around noon today at the Subang Jaya district police headquarters, adding that he will meet the police twice again tonight.
“At 1am today, I received a few photos that were quite sensitive that constituted a threat,” he told reporters at the PPBM headquarters here.
He said he received it through a mobile app that he declined to name at this point of time, also declining to confirm whether the photos were lewd in nature.
“I leave it to the police. I’m not in a position to comment about it,” he said regarding the nature of the photos as the matter was under the police’s investigation.
“This is a typical fear tactic. If they think this will silence me, they are wrong. If they think such a disgusting tactic will frighten me, they are wrong,” he added.
On Monday, Syed Saddiq had at a press conference announced that he was foregoing a scholarship allegedly worth RM400,000 for an Oxford University postgraduate course and was deferring his studies to continue serving the country in his party post.
He had also claimed that he was offered an RM5 million bribe to leave the country before the 14th general elections and to openly criticise three of PPBM’s most senior leaders — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir.
Today, Syed Saddiq said he believed that the blackmail threats against him and his family originated from the same “group” that had offered him the RM5 million bribe, saying that it cannot be a “coincidence”.
He said the first blackmail threat that he had received were over photos concerning his father and brother, saying that those were received before the press conference allegedly organised by the group.
He said he had personally sent out invitations to the media to attend the press conference on the instructions of those who threatened him, adding that he had also not picked up calls from his party leadership the day prior to the press conference based on the same instructions.
“I was disallowed from picking up any calls because they feared that they might influence me. They said they will observe anyone who enters and leaves my house, do not allow anyone, just in case they want to influence me as well,” he said, noting that he had subsequently disregarded the script prepared for him.
He said the threats against him were not “death threats” or threat of physical harm, but were more personal in nature, aimed at stopping him and his family from revealing information related to the group.
“They think the more they threaten, the more I will follow what they want. But one thing which I have learnt from my family, the more they pressure, the more we fight,” he said.
In addressing criticism over his high-profile announcement about him deferring his Oxford studies, Syed Saddiq said it was a “fair point” but felt that the “people lost focus” of the press conference’s objective.
“The first focus for that press conference was for me to take the money, bow down to the threats, leave Malaysia, condemn openly the Opposition coalition, specifically Tun Mahathir and Mukhriz and leave [the] party.
“People forgot that first part and focus so much on the second part, Oxford part. Oxford is a corollary, is a consequence of that network of threats and bribery,” he said.
Syed Saddiq said he will lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission after his meetings with the police.
MALAYMAILONLINE
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