Political affiliation is thicker than blood. This is what an opposition leader discovered when his cousin Umno Sauk branch chief Abdul Rahman Mohd Yusof lodged a police report against him for slandering a minister during a conversation at a coffee shop.

Relating the incident, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) leader Zolkaply Yahaya said he was having a drink with his cousin and a few friends at a coffee shop yesterday in Sauk, Perak, which is located in the parliamentary constituency of Entrepreneur Development Minister Nazri Aziz.

The discussion was centred around the anti-corruption drive launched by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the fact that Nazri was also being investigated for alleged irregularities in the issuance of taxi permits.

"I said he (Nazri) must have been involved, given the high profile (media) coverage of the investigations against him," said the opposition leader when contacted today.

"To us (the opposition), this (allegation) is nothing new . The television has already said it, the newspapers have already said it. To Nazri also, this should not be anything new," he added.

However, his cousin was irked by the discussion and had lodged a police report with the Sauk police station on the grounds that Zolkaply made 'seditious remarks' against the minister.

Ties severed

According to the Keadilan leader, Abdul Rahman had also severed all ties with him.

Zolkaply said he will give his statement to the Kuala Kangsar district police headquarters on Saturday while Abdul Rahman could not be reached for comment.

Nazri has denied any wrongdoing but courted widespread criticism when he lashed out at the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) enforcement head Nordin Ismail for publicly announcing that a probe has been initiated against the minister.

Speculation on the possibility of ministers being dragged to court over corruption charges became rife after the premier revealed that several high-profile figures are on the agency's hit-list.