Deputy Speaker Rashid denies representing DPM, threatens lawsuit over launch speech.
A communications firm involved in a multi-billion network infrastructure project has defended itself against suggestions that it used Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s name for its Internet broadband project after the deputy prime minister denied she had spoken at the company’s event today.
Organisers at an event where Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was invited as a guest of honour say there was a miscommunication between the company and her office over her speech.
XiddiG Cellular Communications Sdn Bhd executive chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahim said he plans to iron things out with the Deputy Prime Minister soon.
“We will meet her to clarify, and I plan to call for a press conference about the matter in the near future,” he said on Tuesday (Jan 22).
Earlier, Dr Wan Azizah said she never approved the speech text.
Abdul Rashid, however, insisted that his company had received approval to use the speech from Wan Azizah’s political secretary.
“We received a formal letter from the deputy prime minister’s office confirming her (Wan Azizah’s) attendance at the event,” Rashid, who is also the brother of former Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, told FMT.
“But last night (Jan 21), we were informed that the deputy prime minister could not make it.”
The deputy prime minister also said she had not delegated anyone to read the speech at the Enhanced Malaysia International Internet Gateway (EM-IIG) High-Speed Broadband project launch in Shah Alam.
The speech was later read by Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.
However, Mohd Rashid denied any wrongdoing, saying that he was not Dr Wan Azizah’s representative at the event and he was not even scheduled to deliver a speech.
He added that he attended the launch in his capacity as former Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1.
When the event began, Mohd Rashid said, he was informed by the organisers that Dr Wan Azizah could not attend due to certain unavoidable reasons and he was asked to deliver a speech at the event.
“I was given the speech text by the organisers as a guideline for my speech. I categorically deny that I represented the Deputy Prime Minister at this event.
“I just read it out,” he said.
“Any claims that I represented the deputy prime minister is intended to confuse.”
The speech, which was said to be by the deputy prime minister, was later circulated to the press.
Wan Azizah’s office later issued a statement claiming that her name had been misused.
Mohd Rashid urged the organisers to act immediately to correct the situation and clear his name of any confusion, or he will take legal action.
Meanwhile, Xiddig’s Rashid said government leaders had been cool in their response to his company’s project despite getting support from the prime minister.
“Whether it has to do with politics, I am not sure,” he told FMT.
“I’m a bit disappointed. We invited Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo and I also presented the project to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who has given his full support,” he said.
Earlier report: Jan 22, DPM’s Name Misused in Speech on High-Speed Broadband