Claims of it being a government ploy.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied he was in a phone call with Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and said a recording of the conversation which has gone viral was the work of the government spreading lies.
He said the audio clip was released in an attempt by the government to stir up conflict among Umno leaders after failing to buy them over.
“Not only do I want to refute (the authenticity of the recording), but it’s clear that the country’s leadership is worried and will use any tricks, threats, and bribes.
“When those fail, they spread lies,” he said during a PKR event in Selangor.
The opposition leader and Port Dickson MP claimed the sound clip was an attempt by the country’s leaders to resort to tricks after failing to threaten or induce people into supporting them.
“This will not affect our efforts to challenge them and expose their lies, corruption and fear in facing the people,” he said.
He said he would instruct his officer to lodge a police report so the authorities could investigate the matter.
Ahmad Zahid had also denied it yesterday, claiming it to be political sabotage by certain quarters.
Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Mohd Puad Zarkashi has already decried the recording as a “conspiracy of the highest level” and said the act of leaking it was politically motivated.
Since last night, the four-minute audio clip has been making rounds. In it, a person who sounded like Anwar praised a person who sounded like Zahid over the latter’s handling of the Umno general assembly.
Anwar further alleged that the release of the audio recording was a tactic by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) to bring down Umno after the latter announced it plans to cease cooperating with the former once the general election is called.
“It seems it was to use us to counter Umno politics. Trying to use my conversation with Zahid for Bersatu politics, to deal a blow to the Umno leadership.
“That is not my job. This is why I will ask my aides to lodge a police report. Let them (police) investigate who is behind this,” Anwar said.
Zahid also said an officer of his would lodge a police report.
Last month, in an interview with Utusan Malaysia, Anwar admitted that PKR and Umno had informal meetings to discuss cooperation.
Subsequently, in a media conference, Anwar explained that despite the discussion, it is too early to come to a decision on how the two parties would cooperate.
PKR vice-president Chang Lih Kang also confirmed that his party was in early talks with Umno.
However, during the recently concluded Umno general assembly, Zahid said his party would not work with Anwar or DAP.