Former PKR loyalist Ezam Mohd Nor has defended the government’s dealings with public relations firm Apco Worldwide, and trained his sights on ex-boss Anwar Ibrahim whom he accused of being a ‘Jewish agent’.

NONE Speaking at the BN operations room in Kuala Kubu Bharu, Ezam said the government’s deal with Apco is “normal” and blamed Anwar for spinning the issue to make it look like a “betrayal of the country”.

“Apco is a normal deal, it is a transparent deal between the government and a lobby company,” he said.

Driving home his point, Ezam attributed Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s successful visit to the US to the efforts of Apco Worldwide.

“The bottom line (of the deal) is to work for the benefit of the government and the country,” he said.

Ezam accused Anwar of having used funds to engage a lobbyist while he was in government naming the Asia-Pacific Policy Centre that had lobbied US senators to participate in an Asia-Pacific dialogue in Malaysia.

"Anwar might say that Mahathir also attended the dialogue, but that it is how Anwar works. He uses the government to hide his hidden motives,” said Ezam.

He admitted, however, that he does not have many details to back the allegation and referred reporters to Murad Khalid, the former deputy governor of Bank Negara.

The government has in recent weeks come under fire for engaging Apco Worldwide, the company responsible for the ‘1Malaysia’ concept. Anwar had alleged that it has ties to Israel, but the company has denied this.

The deal worth RM77 million was, according to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, to improve the government’s image and its ties with the US.

Documents for MPs

Ezam further accused Anwar of being a “tool” of former World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz, whom he described as anti-Islam and pro-Israel.

anwar ibrahim and wolfowitz 061004 He claimed that during Anwar's tenure as chairperson of Foundation for the Future, he had written a letter to the World Bank to ask for the secondment of Shaza Riza, with whom Wolfowitz (left in photo) had an affair.

"I challenge Anwar to answer or deny this," he said.

Ezam also produced a letter by Anwar dated Oct 1, 2006 and a Washington Post article to back his allegation, claiming that it was handed to him by a World Bank personnel disappointed with Anwar’s spin on Apco.

He added that the documents will be handed to parliamentarians as evidence when the motion to refer Anwar to the Rights and Privileges Committee is debated tomorrow.