FORMER Federal Territories minister Khalid Abdul Samad is not rejecting the possibility that the ongoing investigation on him is politically motivated due to a speech he made eight months ago. 

In a speech made in early March, Khalid was one of several people who stated that Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Anwar Ibrahim should have been chosen as prime minister as he commanded majority support in the Dewan Rakyat, but the Yang di-Pertuan Agong decided to name Muhyiddin Yassin instead.

“The fact of the matter is that the statement was made in March, but the police only decided to investigate now.

“There might be a political motive to it. Let’s wait and see if this case is brought to court or not,” he told The Malaysian Insight after being hauled in by the police recently as part of the investigation into the speech.

A clip recording of the speech was circulated on an online news portal on March 7.

Khalid said that he is perplexed why the police only chose to record his statement now – if it is true that the statement was offensive.

He added that he had answered all questions posed by two police officers who visited his office in Shah Alam last Friday, and provided an explanation of his “backdoor government” comment.  

“I explained to them that the definition of a backdoor government is one that is not voted in a general election but is formed through the treacherous act of defection and party-hopping by members of Parliament.

“I also explained that the Agong’s decision was made based on his personal confidence in order to see who gains majority support in the Dewan Rakyat,” he said.

Khalid denied making a statement that defamed or accused the king of being racist.

The police also summoned Amanah vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa to Bukit Aman to record a testimony, regarding his statement that disputed the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s authority in appointing Muhyiddin as prime minister.

Both the Amanah leaders are being investigated under the Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, said deputy director of Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department Mior Faridalathrash Wahid.

Muhyiddin was appointed as prime minister on March 1 following political manoeuvrings that brought down the Pakatan Harapan administration a week earlier.

After former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s government lost the majority support of the Dewan Rakyat, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah summoned all members of Parliament to the National Palace to determine who commanded majority support. – November 4, 2020.