We strongly protest and are outraged by the front page headline of Berita Harian yesterday, which revealed the police investigations on the sex video that continuously attempt to implicate Anwar Ibrahim. In this latest development, a supposedly renowned South Korean broadcasting agency has purportedly matched the identity of the male in the sex video to that of Anwar Ibrahim.

We regret that the Berita Harian report has sensationalised this issue, even though police investigations are still on-going. We also regret that Berita Harian has allowed itself to be used in this trial-by-media, which smacks clearly of a political orchestration to continuously vilify and persecute Anwar in the public domain.

It should also be noted that the South Korean firm was engaged by and fed with information by the Polis Di-Raja Malaysia (PDRM), whose leadership and political masters have had a longstanding political agenda to smear the reputation of Anwar and end his political struggle for reform.

Anwar has categorically denied his involvement in this sex video. We also categorically state that it is not Anwar Ibrahim in the said video.

The credibility of the PDRM has once again been shattered and compromised following the revelations made by the former KL CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim in several open letters made public:

1) regarding the four police reports made by Anwar between July 9, 1999 and Aug 20, 1999 on the abuse of power and the obstruction of legal procedures by a retinue of major public figures including Dr Mahathir and Abdul Ghani Patail. Why has there been no further action on these police reports?

2) regarding key similarities between the current alleged "sex video" and a "sex video" that was circulated prior to the 1999 general election.

We call upon the rakyat to reject gutter politics, and to remain united in calling for the return of independence and integrity to our key public institutions in Malaysia, especially PDRM, MACC, EC, and the judiciary.

Saifuddin Nasution is secretary-general of PKR.