By Clara Chooi
KUALA LUMPUR, April 17 — A PKR lawmaker exposed in Parliament today a letter allegedly penned by prominent lawyer Datuk Seri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah (picture) claiming that he has been sent by the Prime Minister and his wife on a “sensitive legal assignment” abroad that “must be completed before the general election”.
The letter, according to Saifuddin Nasution (PKR-Machang), was addressed to Chief Justice Tan Sri Ariffin Zakaria, Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif Chief Judge Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin on March 23, and seeks for a postponement of Shafee's cases from April 2 to 25.
The lawmaker, who exposed the matter when debating amendments to the Penal Code, read several paragraphs of the letter in his possession.
“We write to Yang Amat Arif on the above matter as we seek to appraise Your Lordships of a specific development whereby Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has been appointed on behalf of the government of Malaysia, in particular by Yang Amat Berhormat Datuk Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak and Datin Paduka Sri Rosmah Mansor, to undertake a sensitive legal assignment overseas that must be completed before the general elections (which is rumoured to be very soon),” he read.
“The nature of this legal assignment is confidential, at present. But, if required, Datuk Seri Dr Muhammad Shafee Abdullah can be present personally to see Yang Amat Arif-Yang Amat Arif for an explanation of the nature of this legal assignment,” he added.
According to Saifuddin, the letter also states that as a result of the “assignment”, Shafee would have to travel to several cities abroad including New York, London, Dubai, Paris and Basel.
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