PKR’s Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul, who earlier today exposed the identities of the people behind the sex tape allegedly involving opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, agreed with their call for a royal commission of inquiry to be set up to determine the authenticity of the video.

Speaking briefly to Malaysiakini in the Parliament lobby, Johari repeated that an in-depth investigation into the video will support his position that the man caught having sex in the video is “100 percent confirmed not Anwar”.

“I agree and I support (an RCI to be formed),” he said before rushing off for a meeting at the party headquarters this evening.

NONE Earlier at around noon, Johari dropped a bombshell when he announced at a press conference that the people behind the video screening were former Malacca chief minister Rahim Thamby Chik and businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution added that a third individual - Perkasa treasurer-general Shuib Lazim - was also part of the group that staged the screening.

Shuib, who happens to be Johari’s uncle, was the man who invited and arranged for the latter to view the video privately at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on Monday afternoon.

Following Johari’s expose, the trio decided to come out in the open and admitted to staging the private media screening on Monday morning, while calling for a royal commission to investigate the authenticity of the video.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua, however, was more sceptical about the call for a royal commission, saying that it deflects attention from the more immediate issue of the media screening of the 22-minute video clip at Carcosa Seri Negara.

Police must take action against ‘Datuk Trio’

He stressed that with the identities of ‘Datuk T’ - which Rahim said is short for ‘Datuk Trio’, referring to himself, Shazryl and Shuib - out in the open, the police should take immediate action against them on three alleged criminal acts.

“They must first solve the issue of firstly using Carcosa to screen pornography, secondly manufacturing the video and thirdly, using the video to blackmail Anwar and (his wife and PKR president Dr) Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail),” he said.

forum direct election in political parties klscah 261010 tian chua Tian Chua ( left ) noted that Rahim’s admission vindicates the opposition’s belief of a conspiracy to take down Anwar, claiming that it is a repeat of the opposition leader’s first sodomy trial in 1998.

It was during that period when Anwar is believed to have accused Rahim of being part of a team conspiring to destroy his career and public image.

“We have seen Rahim Thamby Chik’s role in Sodomy I, and all the players are coming back now... we are glad our (claim of) conspiracy has been confirmed,” Tian Chua said.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz, meanwhile, was taken aback when asked for his comments on the call for an RCI on the sex video.

“I’m speechless... all of this coming out,” he said with a look of disbelief.

Nazri, however, noted that it would be unfair to link the sex video scandal to Umno, stressing that it was done by individuals without the party’s knowledge or approval.

He added that the opposition are equally guilty of throwing wild allegations against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

“It’s like the pot calling the kettle black. They themselves are not innocent,” he said.

ibrahim ali kerdau bn ceramah Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali ( right ) likewise said his organisation has nothing to do with the media screening, but agreed that an RCI should be set up to “clear the air”.

He said there are countless allegations flying about against the government and Anwar in equal measure regarding the sex video, making it all the more important to get to the bottom of the issue.

“On one hand, there are those who accuse the government of fabricating this to bring down Anwar. And then there are those who say the video was produced by Anwar himself, to deflect attention from his sodomy trial.

“This is also unfair to Anwar. I myself don’t believe (the claims against Anwar) because I haven’t seen the video, so to clear the air and to get a proper perspective, an RCI should be set up,” he said.

Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim however urged the ‘Datuk Trio’ to stick to use the proper channels and lodge a police report.

“We have the police and laws, so Rahim and his cohorts who are said to be in the trio should make a police report so it is investigated according to the nation’s laws,” he said.

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