PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said today that reports of mediation between Umno and PKR supposedly initiated by Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal during the latter’s visit to Malaysia last week were “exaggerated”.

Contacted abroad where he is on business, Saifuddin told Malaysiakini that he was with PKR adviser Anwar Ibrahim at the meeting with Khaled in the office of the Palestinian Cultural Organisation in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 5.

“The conversation between Khaled and Anwar revolved on current developments in Egypt, Syria and matters between Hamas and Fatah in Palestine,” said Saifuddin.

The PKR leader was commenting on reports that Khaled, who was in Kuala Lumpur last week to attend an Umno-organised international forum, had also been on a mediation run between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and opposition leader Anwar.

Khaled had reportedly met in private with Najib and latter with Anwar and then dined with Najib before flying home.

This sequence of meetings has caused a flurry of speculation that talks on national reconciliation between Umno-BN and Pakatan Rakyat are imminent.

“The conversation between Anwar and Khaled was mainly on the Middle East and also dwelt on what role Anwar could play in the resolution of matters in those theatres of the Arab world,” emphasised Saifuddin.

He said only towards the end of the conversation did the Hamas leader disclose that he had seen Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and raised the matter of national reconciliation between contending parties in Malaysian politics.

“There were no specifics to Khaled’s reference to his own meeting with the PM,” clarified Saifuddin.

“He only referred in passing to his meeting with Najib and disclosed that he had raised the matter of national reconciliation in Malaysia,” Saifuddin elaborated.

Further, he said Anwar did not know that Khaled was going on to meet Najib a second time after the Hamas leader had met with the PKR adviser.

“We do not think that national reconciliation between Umno-BN and Pakatan needs the mediation of someone from abroad for it to start,” offered Saifuddin.