PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has brushed off criticism from PKR about the Inspector-General of Police’s comments on the decision not to charge PKR president Anwar Ibrahim over allegations of sexual harassment.

People are free to have their own opinion on the decision by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, he told reporters today.

“The IGP has his opinion, other people will have theirs. This is a free country, you can made any comments you like,” he said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today in response to PKR MPs criticising Abdul Hamid Bador for implicating Anwar in allegations by his former aide of sexual harassment more than a year ago.

After the AGC announced the police investigation into the allegation by Muhammed Yusoff Rawther lacked enough evidence for charges to be proffered, Hamid defended the force and said there was “nothing fishy” about the police inquiry.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution then said that Hamid should not have made such a statement, which implied that the alleged offence took place but couldn’t be proven due to lack of evidence.

“I am disappointed with his statement. He should be cautious when commenting on a case in which it was decided (by the AGC) that it would not be pursued,” Saifuddin had said.

Anwar aide Muhammed Yusoff Rawther wants the AGC to explain its decision not to press charges against Anwar for allegedly outraging his modesty.

Yusoff said today that the AGC must clarify what it meant by “contradiction of material facts” in announcing its decision, citing a lack of evidence.

Anwar’s lawyer Ramkarpal Singh said that he wil be filing a defamation suit against Yusoff next week. 

The suit will challenge Yusoff’s November 2019 statutory declaration, in which he accused the Port Dickson MP of sexual harassment by attempting to force Yusoff to commit oral sex on him at his home in Bukit Segambut. Yusoff similarly lodged a police report in December.

Yusof was a former researcher, who worked in Anwar’s office from September 2018 to May 2019.

Anwar has denied the accusation, saying he was busy campaigning for the Port Dickson by-election at the time. – January 17, 2020.