ABDUL Azeez Abdul Rahim has demanded a public apology from Lim Guan Eng for making defamatory statements against him relating to the Penang undersea tunnel project.

The Baling MP said he had given the Penang chief minister four days to do so, before he proceeded with court action.

“I want him to retract all defamatory statements against me, Umno and Tabung Haji.

“I give him four days to issue a public apology, and to stop repeating all the defamatory statements,” the Umno Supreme Council member said during a press conference at Parliament today.

Azeez, who wants the apology issued via the mainstream media, said his lawyers had sent a letter of demand to Lim’s office at 3.30pm, and another letter to his residence in Penang at 4.30pm.

Azeez is accused of receiving RM3 million from the state project’s contractor for consultancy services that were not delivered.

The chairman of Tabung Haji said Lim’s remarks about him were aired on TV3 yesterday, and the chief minister had asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate him over the alleged links.

“Don’t drag Tabung Haji, which has nine million depositors, and Umno, which has three million members, into this issue.

“They all want to know why I was defamed, and why Tabung Haji and Umno were linked. I have received 800 calls from last night until this morning (following the TV3 report on Lim).”

Azeez had previously said he was a victim of “name-dropping”, and showed a letter received by his lawyers, from Messrs Jahaberdeen and Co, on Saturday from contractor Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd’s law firm, Syahrul and Hamidi.

The company has apologised to him, acknowledging that a businessman had used Azeez’s name, leading it to believe that the businessman represented the MP.

In view of this, Syahrul and Hamidi informed Azeez’s lawyers that the notice of demand against him had been retracted and withdrawn.

Consortium Zenith’s lawyers also said the company had no intention to defame Azeez or cast malicious insinuations against him.

Consortium Zenith won an open tender to build the Penang undersea tunnel and highways project in 2013. The project is now the subject of a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission probe.

In an immediate response, Lim said he would challenge any suit filed by Azeez.

“It is within his right (to take legal action). We will definitely contest the suit.

“We will contest any suit that he files. It’s common for Barisan Nasional to file suits against us,” he told reporters at a separate press conference at Parliament today. – March 6, 2018.