FORMER PKR researcher, Muhammad Yusoff Rawther, who recently accused Anwar Ibrahim of sexual misconduct, has gone to ground.

Lawyer Ramkarpal Singh, acting for Anwar, told The Malaysian Insight that a letter of demand submitted to Yusoff at his address in Penang was returned because he was no longer living there.

“We cannot serve the letter because he is not staying at his address any more.

“We do not have any other information about him and we are currently checking with our sources about his whereabouts,” said Ramkarpal.

The Malaysian Insight tried to reach Yusoff through several individuals, including his great-uncle Mohideen Abdul Kader, but has not been successful.

The contacts said they don’t have Yusoff’s contact numbers nor did they know of his whereabouts.

On Wednesday, Yusoff, who worked at Anwar’s office from September 2018 to May 2019, alleged in a statutory declaration that the PKR president tried to force him to perform sexual acts at his home in Bukit Segambut, Kuala Lumpur, on October 2 last year.

Anwar has dismissed the allegation, saying he had been at an event to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi on the day of the alleged incident, and had also been busy campaigning in the Port Dickson by-election.

Anwar gave Yusoff 24 hours to clarify his accusation or face legal action.

On Thursday, Mohideen said family members were in the dark about the alleged incident.

At a press conference in George Town, Mohideen, who is president of the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP), said Yusoff has been estranged from the family since his grandfather, former CAP president SM Mohamed Idris, died early this year.

Mohideen represented PKR in the 1999 general election, running for the Bayan Lepas state seat, but lost.

However, Yusoff’s father, Muhammed Ali Mohd Idris, has dismissed Mohideen’s statements and said his son’s family were aware of the alleged misconduct.

“My family would like to discredit and disavow the statements made by Mohideen.

“Our family were informed of the incident that took place either on the day itself or in close proximity to it, by my son himself,” Ali said yesterday.

Axes to grind with Anwar?

This latest allegation against Anwar seems to tie together former PKR members who hold grudges against the president.

Yusoff is just seeking revenge, said Anwar’s political secretary Farhash Wafa Salvador, in a statement to deny the allegations against his boss.

The Perak PKR chief said Yusoff was dismissed from the PKR president’s office for indiscipline.

The claims are a “feeble effort to tarnish the party’s image”, added Farhash.

In August, Yusoff accused of Farhash of assaulting him, filing a suit for the alleged attack, which took place at Anwar’s office in May this year.

Farhash has also pointed the finger at former PKR member Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegubard, for masterminding Yusoff’s statutory declaration and press conference. – December 7, 2019.